Students relocated from unsafe Dorcas Club Nursery School

Some 59 students are being relocated from the unsafe conditions that have been present at the Dorcas Club Nursery School, Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
The Education Ministry on Tuesday said that it is conducting this relocation and has made alternative arrangements for the students.
These conditions include the discovery of a highly unsafe environment for both teachers and children in a building that was being rented for the Dorcas Club Nursery School.
This decision was taken after the facility was found to have serious infrastructural issues in August 2024, posing safety risks to both pupils and teachers.
Thus far, the landlady has not addressed the concerns and has not given any indication of when they would be addressed.
To ensure the safety of the 59 registered children and their teachers, an alternative solution was initially identified at a nearby nursery school with available space.
The Ministry said that a closer review of the registration revealed that only 16 of the 59 children are from the Dorcas Club catchment area, while the remaining 43 children reside within the catchment areas of seven other nursery schools nearby.
As such following two consultations with parents, it was decided that the 43 children residing outside the Dorcas Club catchment area would be placed in the nursery school closest to their homes.
For the 16 children from the Dorcas Club catchment area, recommendations were made to transfer them to suitable nursery schools nearer to their home addresses.
The Ministry said that to ease the transition, all receiving schools have indicated their capacity to receive these pupils and have agreed to accept the children in their current Dorcas Club uniforms, ensuring that parents incur no additional expenses. The Ministry is committed to engaging parents further and will host another meeting to provide updates and address any remaining concerns.
The Ministry said that it remains dedicated to the safety and well-being of every child and appreciates the cooperation of parents and guardians as it works to ensure the continued provision of quality education in safe and conducive environments.