For a number of years, the Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) has been complaining about the shortage of teachers at the Kwakwani Primary School.
With placards in hands earlier, several parents took to the streets and staged a protest in front of the Regional Education Office (REO).
Reports are that the school has been experiencing a shortage of teachers since 2007 as many teachers would only be there for short periods and then leave for various reasons.
This would often cause classrooms to be without teachers for lengthy periods until a replacement was sent to the school.
Diane Dhanraj, Treasurer of the PTA, told Kaieteur News that numerous reports have been made to the relevant authorities since the problem began in 2007.
Also, requests were made to the Ministry of Education to have the building upgraded which includes repainting and more furniture.
She explained that the PTA had its “last straw” when only one teacher and the Headmaster turned up on Friday last, to control a school of 286 students.
“On last Friday, only one teacher was at the school with the Headteacher and there were 286 children at school. It was craziness there with children pelting stuff and doing all sorts of things. As the treasurer, I told the Headteacher that we can’t continue like tha, so we closed school for the day. We told the Ministry and then they told us to hang in,” said Dhanraj.
Kaieteur News understands that a meeting was held on Monday where it was decided that there should be protests to highlight the issue.
Jacqueline Simeon, Chairperson of the PTA, expressed her disgust about the situation.
“This situation we are facing here is very rough. It is so terrible. On Friday, I went to the Headteacher Mr. Khemraj because it was pure madness going on in the school with only one teacher and him there. We have been suffering since 2007 and the Ministry cannot get teachers to send in. Presently, we have Grades Two, Four and Six exam classes, which is happening right now. It can’t continue like this. The children will drop back in the work.”
This newspaper was further told that only six teachers are presently employed at the Kwakwani Primary. The staffing should have been 13 teachers but for many years this has not been so.
The parents and teachers of the school are hoping that the Ministry of Education rectifies this situation since the persons who are really affected are the students.
Newly elected Chairman of Region Ten, Sharma Solomon, explained that upon receiving information on Monday that teachers were planning to strike at the said school, there was an immediate dispatching of the Regional Executive Officer, Vice- Chairman and Regional Education Officer into the area.
He assured that there will be three more teachers to complement the staff at the Kwakwani Primary School in the not too distant future.
“Three qualified teachers will be at the school by Thursday (tomorrow). When they (Regional team) return, they will take a high level team into Kwakwani and Ituni and these areas. They will report back what’s happening and we can also sit down with residents to find out what problems they are facing and how we can assist,” Solomon said. (Kristen Macklingam)