The students of the New Silver City Secondary School at Linden staged a protest action yesterday calling for the removal of the school’s head teacher and for ministers to be allowed to conduct prayers at the school, following the episodes, which several children experienced for reasons unknown.
However, several of the children fainted during the protest. According to information reaching Stabroek News, nine children fell unconscious near the Department of Education and five others collapsed at Lichas Hall. A television reporter covering the protest also reportedly collapsed.
Recounting what had happened, a parent who had accompanied the children on the protest said a child began calling out the names of other children who subsequently fell unconscious.
The reporter was said to have been leaning against a wall at Lichas Hall when her colleagues noticed her drooping; she subsequently fainted.
Parents accused the head teacher of being tardy in addressing the issue. However, the head teacher said she held a meeting with some parents on Thursday following the Wednesday afternoon episode when the children began suffering from some strange affliction.
This newspaper understands that the blood samples taken from the children who fell ill on Wednesday did not show any irregularities. This was confirmed by Regional Chairman Mortimer Mingo, who in addressing the students and their parents, said he had spoken to a medical official who said there was no trace of any medical problem.
Mingo said he held a meeting with the religious ministers in the town to discuss their intervention in the matter. School has been suspended until the issue is resolved, but teachers are still expected to report for duty.
