Youngster denied chance to compete at National Schools Championships
Member of Parliament Yvonne Pearson of Mainstay/Whayaka Amerindian Community, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) has expressed her dismay over the way her nephew was treated at the ongoing 58th National Championships.
According to the MP, the eight-year-old child, Revaldo Kanhai, of the Mainstay Lake Primary School, excelled in the Inter Schools and Inter Branch School Sports which qualified him for the marquee event.
Owing to his performance, he was taken to Georgetown on Saturday last by the Department of Education to represent Region Two.
His father, Andrew Kanhai, who is a manager at a hotel in Region One (Barima-Waini) travelled by aircraft all the way to the City just to give support to his son, but was shocked to learn that his son’s name was suddenly not on the list of students participating at Nationals.
He said that as a helpless father, his heart was torn into pieces when he saw his son break down in tears.
According to a release, Kanhai contacted Pearson, who in turn contacted Education Minister Nicolette Henry.
The Minister at the time was engaged at a parliamentary sitting and promised to assist in the matter, but they received no support. Pearson also reached out to Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton, but to no avail.
According to the MP, she has information which suggested that her nephew was replaced because of his ethnicity. Pearson said that she would officially lodge a complaint with the Ethnic Relations Commission and raise the issue at Parliament.
She vowed to get to the bottom of the matter by whatever means and expose those responsible for treating the child in such a manner.