Head-teacher calls for Govt’s assistance at flood-prone Charlestown school

…as voluntary group hands over sanitation block

Head Mistress of Charlestown Secondary School, Ms LeniDee McBean, has called for Government to look into the school’s environs, which are flooded when it rains.
She made the call during a ceremony in which the voluntary group Nulli Secundus (Second to None) was handing over a sanitation block to the school.
The head-teacher used the occasion to appeal to Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson, who was at the time visiting the school for the handing over ceremony. She said, “I am happy that this event through the group has brought him (Hutson) here, and we will hope that he sees other needs of this institution. Mister CEO, right now we have a situation here; when it rains, it is flooded. This entire tarmac is flooded.”
She explained that students are disadvantaged by the flooding that takes place at

the facility because they are unable to participate in sporting activities outdoors, and she has sometimes tried to facilitate indoor activities as an alternative. This poses a problem, though, since the Information Technology Lab is located below the auditorium which the children would sometimes utilise for sporting activities.
The CEO took note of the head-teacher’s remarks, and responded that the Education Ministry would tend to not only the needs of that school, but others as well.
“I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that, as Chief Education Officer, I will continue to not only look at the needs of Charlestown Secondary School, but I have a broader responsibility to ensure that there is equity (and) there is quality in terms of education delivery throughout this entire country; but Charlestown Secondary School will be no exception,” he assured. The Chief Education Officer added, “I believe it is important that, as (the) education sector, we can collaborate and cooperate with different groups, so that we can move education forward.” Meanwhile, Guyana Times has been told by president of the voluntary group, Martin Massiah, that the timely donation was made after some two months of toiling by persons hired by the group to facilitate the works.
The project was constructed to the tune of some $400,000, which was covered by the Nulli Secundus Group.
“We have been working on this project for two or three months, and so we raised money. We identified the need in Charlestown for a water facility, (or) somewhere where they (children) will be able to wash up…and we were able to identify the need for a bigger station, because of the size of the school,” Massiah said.
The head-teacher of the school thanked the group for the effort, and urged the children to take care of the facility.