Deplorable conditions at Region 5 Mortice Primary

… parents reluctant to send children to children
The optimum educational advancement of students at the Mortice Primary School at Mahaicony, Region 5 (Mahaica/Berbice) is being hindered because of the school’s current deplorable conditions.
On Friday Guyana Times was shown evidence of hanging wires with accompanying sockets for fluorescent lights at various sections of the school.
Information reaching this publication stated that the pest control department removed the internal ceiling of the school after a section “caved in” due to mounting bat defecation. According to reports, bat dung and dead bats were removed from the school around four weeks ago and the Regional Administration had requested that the Regional Executive Officer (REO) Roderick Edinboro have the ceiling repaired after Pest control had removed it to clean the stench.
Guyana Times was also told that pest control pulled out the wires to clear the ceiling but the REO is yet to send staff to fix the wires. Additionally, the plyboards were also left after being torn off. One individual told this newspaper that some of the parents complained of the lingering scent which drove them to clean up some of the dirt, as they were concerned over the children’s health.
“The children dem parents keep dem way, they not sending them to school… a lot missing school.”
Further, parents threatened to call in the media but upon supposed instructions of the Education Department, the Headteacher reportedly pleaded with the parents not to do so and it was promised that the situation would be rectified.
Additionally the school’s lavatory facilities are in a nonfunctioning condition. This publication was told that cleaners would have to fetch many buckets of water from the neighbour’s yard to flush the toilets. More alarming was that “the children can’t use the toilets because as soon as they enter, the live wire is there.”

Inadequate nursery
Meanwhile, early childhood development is also at risk of being hindered as some 23 students of the Mortice Nursery School are currently attending classes under the Mortice Primary School. These classes are being conducted in an environment that is not enclosed. The students also have to consume their lunch there. Parents are worried that their children will become sick if they get wet with the prevailing weather pattern.
It was on April 10 Guyana Times reported that a dormitory in Mahaicony which houses secondary school students from the Indigenous community of Moraikabi, had lacked vital food supplies. At that time, Guyana Times was told that all the facility had were some potatoes.
After the report was published, a number of items was supplied to the facility nearly two weeks later.