UG’s Port Mourant schools survey finds high rate of absenteeism, dropouts

– community project created to address research findings

Nearly 70 per cent of registered students in Port Mourant, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) do not attend school. This finding comes from a group of University of Guyana fourth-year social work students recently carrying out a survey in the community.

Lata Devie Jagmohan, who is responsible for the research, says the absenteeism rate in the community is very high.
“Almost 70 per cent who are registered in the area are absent from school; they don’t go to school,” she noted.
The survey found that only 40 per cent of persons between one year and 20 years old have acquired a primary education, 20 per cent of this demographic have acquired a secondary education, and just 5 per cent have attained a tertiary education. The school dropout rate for this age group is 35 per cent.
In the age category of 20 to 40 years old, only 20 per cent have attained a primary education; 10 per cent a secondary education, and 3 per cent a tertiary education. The school dropout rate for this group is 67 per cent.
The UG students have since launched a project with the aim of increasing school attendance and academic performance among youths.
The community development project is spearheaded by a group of fourth-year students from the Tain Campus, and is expected to establish an inclusive learning hub for community empowerment, and to foster a community wherein every child and young adult has access to quality education and development opportunities.
Jagmohan explained that the project hopes to improve literacy rates and educational attainment in Ankerville, Port Mourant by addressing the immediate educational needs of the community and providing long-term support to break the cycle of poverty. To address this issue, the students are focusing on enhancing educational opportunities for the community through development strategies.
The aim is to support families in need of literacy skills by providing necessary tools and material, as well as through partnerships with educators, Government programmes, and establishment of a community library.
“We are setting up this community project in collaboration with GuySuCo. They have given us this space for the community learning hub for Port Mourant area. It is an inclusive learning hub, not just for youths and young adults, but also those from marginalised and vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities. Since we are students, we are going to be here only for a period of time. We would have liaised with the NDC and RDC to have workers here who would continue with the programme when we would have left,” Jagmohan explained.
She pointed out that as a person living with a disability herself, she would continue to make weekly visits to the centre to assist other persons with disabilities.
“I am visually impaired, and I will be working with those persons who actually access the learning hub who are visually impaired or blind. I will help them to access resources that (are) readable to them using inclusive software,” she said.
The social work students also found that there are several other disadvantages currently affecting the community. These include limited career opportunities and lower educational attainment, which limit career prospects and earning potential. This often makes the community economically vulnerable. In addition, the social inequality that exists perpetuates cycles of poverty and increasing social inequality.
Trudy Sinclair who is from the community, is the project leader, and has responsibility for overseeing all project activities and community engagement. It was not until she became an adult that she had the opportunity to sit her CSEC exams. She is now finishing her Bachelor’s Degree at the university.
“One thing about Port Mourant is that the emphasis is in only certain areas, and from our survey, we would have noticed that education is not emphasized. So, after we got a place to do a community project, we decided… After doing a survey which showed that children are lacking the resources and the motivation, we created this learning hub with the intention that we would have retired teachers, current teachers, or such persons who would like to volunteer their time to help with school- based assignments (SBAs) or homework,” she explained.
Sinclair noted that the National Library has partnered with the group to provide the necessary resources to enable research.
She says it is hoped that Government ministries would come on board, particularly the Education Ministry.
“The literacy programme can be introduced to this area because many of our children do not attend school. Some do not get to attend school because of transportation, some because of a lack of resources, and some because their parents are not motivated or have the skills to help them as they progress in education,” Sinclair disclosed.
Group members are currently engaged in developing a section of the Port Mourant Community Centre to create the learning hub. The work is being undertaken by the students through self-help.