Dear Editor,
I commend Food for the Poor Guyana and the Amerindian Affairs Ministry for their efforts to complete and furnish the dormitory at the Sand Creek Secondary School located in Region Nine. Sand Creek Secondary School was built with intentions of providing education to students from both Regions Nine and Eight.
When it comes to managing schools in remote areas, the process of providing meals and sleeping quarters is often the least of our worries and there are in fact other areas of concern that we should place emphasis on.
I recall a few months ago, a 15-year-old student from a secondary school on the Essequibo Coast discovered that she was four months pregnant. As we all know, the importance of education is quite often expressed by the government and also recently by the Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai who declared the need for students in hinterland locations to embrace educational opportunities in order to better equip themselves with the skills and knowledge to later contribute to the overall development of Guyana.
There are now approximately 13 schools established in the hinterland area and many of them comprise of a standard two storey building consisting of a dozen classrooms, laboratories, administrative offices, computer rooms, home economics and industrial arts divisions and a dormitory.
Nevertheless, there will always be the need for more schools to be established within hinterland areas. In fact, government is expected to construct a new school at Kato, Region Eight which is expected to accommodate more than 100 students.
Investments in education often require insight, patience and financial commitment. It is for this reason that people who bolster education and contribute to the development of such learning facilities should always be acknowledged.
Respectfully,
Simone Perreira