Dear Editor,
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has noted with concern a letter in the Kaieteur newspaper of March 21, 2018 titled “Parents of Students of Hope Secondary School Need Hope”. In that letter, the writer lists several issues affecting the East Coast of Demerara learning institution. The MoE, as a responsible body with a mandate to serve this nation, feels obligated to respond to the contents of that missive.
Firstly, the writer posited the view that the teachers display a lack of dedication, and consequently the school is apparently flouting educational Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). While the writer did not indicate what procedures were not being adhered to, the MoE, upon learning about these allegations, dispatched two Senior Education Officers to investigate these claims.
Note, Mr. Editor, the MoE said claims, so all the issues will be addressed in an itemized manner. So, let’s return to the alleged lack of dedication by the teachers: the officers found that there were some issues with curriculum delivery by a few teachers. Those teachers were spoken to in the presence of their Heads of Department. Additionally, teachers’ lesson plans are being continuously monitored, and the students’ work books were checked and will continue to be checked randomly, to ensure the curriculum is being followed. So it is safe to say that the foregoing issue is not a representation of all teachers, because there are many hard-working teachers at the Hope Secondary School, who continue to play their part in moulding and preparing the nation’s future leaders.
The letter writer also said there are numerous fights owing to the students being idle, and that these fights would happen during instructional (teaching) time.
The MoE’s investigation has found that this is not true. As a matter of fact, the school authority provided evidence to the contrary.
The issue of dog’s fecal matter in classrooms happened more than a year ago, and this was due to some classrooms not being locked at the end of the school day. This situation has long been corrected, and students are now learning in a healthy, child-friendly environment.
The MoE takes seriously its responsibility to educate this nation, and will always welcome constructive criticisms, since these are important if any progressive institution is to continue to effectively serve the people it is intended to.
Sincerely,
Ministry of Education
