REO was unaware of sanitary issues at St. Ignatius Secondary

− says recent decision to close the school unwarranted

− visit made to the school on May 24, the matter was never raised

− sinister plot to undermine the administration

By Stacy Carmichael

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, June 6, 2019

Regional Executive Officer of Region 9 (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region), Carl Parker believes the recent closure of the St. Ignatius Secondary School located in Lethem, citing unsanitary conditions, is intended to undermine the “good name” of the regional administration.

Parker disclosed, on Wednesday, during a telephone interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), that at “no time” did the head teacher of the school indicate to him, or through his office, that a problem of such a magnitude existed at the school.

In a letter dated June 4 and circulated on social media, the head teacher wrote to the Deputy Education Officer (DEO), Ingrid Trotman, seeking permission to close the school, citing unsanitary conditions, which were present for three weeks.

The request was then granted for classes to be suspended for three days.

The letter also stated that REO Parker was contacted about the sanitation issue at the school and that the Clerks of Work visited the school assessed the situation and informed that time would be needed to gather the materials to fix the sanitary facilities.

However, in a letter, which DPI has obtained a copy, sent by the REO to the Board of Governors of the school, he related that on May 24 a visit was made to the school for the Culture Day activities, yet the issue was not raised.

Further, it was noted that a management meeting is usually held on Mondays at 10:00hrs “and at no time was such a report made; not by the Regional Education Officer, not by the Regional Environment Officer, who visits that institution regularly, to ensure that the Kitchen of the Dormitory is in a healthy state; not by the Head Mistress who calls me regularly on issues pertaining to the school.”

According to Parker, in his letter, the situation at the school points more to poor administration by the school and possibly the board, “it is unthinkable that a sanitary facility, according to you [the board], could be out of commission for three weeks and not one report was forwarded to the Education Department or the Regional Administration. Somebody is not performing their assigned functions.”

The REO said it is “disturbing” that on this occasion, the matter was treated differently. As an ex-officio member, Parker said he was not invited to the meeting, nor was he included in the board’s Whatsapp Group.

Parker disclosed that on June 3, he was contacted by the Regional Education Officer (REO) who apprised him of the situation.

“On the morning of Tuesday, June 4, I instructed Overseer, Mr. Travis Josiah to do an assessment of the facilities and report. He did so at approximately 07: 30hrs that morning and I received his report at around 08:15hrs. I summoned a contractor to effect immediate repairs to the facility. I had no idea that the contractor did not do as he had promised,” the letter detailed.

The Regional Environmental Health Officer was summoned to do an assessment of the conditions and report to the REO, however, to date, Parker said he has not been given such a report.

On Wednesday, June 5, he “was alerted to posts on the social media ordering the school closed,” Parked added.

“This sordid episode, therefore, points to a lack of effective supervision at the school by both the school’s administration and the board. Were the facilities not working, a report should have been made the very next day at least; not three weeks after, and hoping that the regional administration would be aware.”

The contractor alluded to previously has since been fired and another hired by the REO to have the facilities fixed. The letter dispatched to the board was copied to the Minister of Communities, his Permanent Secretary, the Minister of Education, the Chief Education Officer, the Deputy Chief Education Officer and the head teacher of the school.

Parker has stated his non- support for the school’s closure. He added that the possibility of the students contracting Hepatitis, as stated in the head teacher’s letter, is also “unfounded” and seeks to “create an atmosphere of sensationalism which I found to be counterproductive to the resolution of the various issues that the institution may be facing.”

He has called for an atmosphere of open dialogue between the administration of the school and his office.

Image: Anil Seelall