Dear Editor,
Inter-school sports was held on Friday, October 22, for all secondary schools in the New Amsterdam and Canje zone. The event is one of many which were held throughout school districts across Guyana. It is the event where the various schools meet and compete for a place in the National Championships, which are slated for November.
There are a few things with which I am dissatisfied, and keep occurring every single year. The event is usually held at the Canje Welfare Ground, which is owned and managed by GuySuCo’s Rose Hall Estate. This year, the event was held at the Edinburgh Community Centre Ground in Edinburgh on the East Bank of Berbice. Now why didn’t the organizers book the Canje Welfare Ground earlier? If that ground had to be slashed or spruced up, then why didn’t these things happen earlier? That spells very poor planning.
Schoolchildren and teachers alike had to acquire transportation to take athletes and officials to Edinburgh. What is more unreasonable is that schoolchildren were charged an entrance fee of $200, provided that they were attired in school uniform. Those who were not so attired had to pay $300. Now, isn’t that exploiting the general public, especially our children? Why should the kids pay so much to enter the sports to cheer on their fellow classmates and school? If I were them, I’d not attend. These events have evolved into nothing short of money-making ventures, just like the extra lessons, as the Minister of Education rightly stated.
Every year, the Berbice inter-school sports become nothing more than an event which turns into vulgar behaviour because of the infiltration of persons from outside, who have no business at all there and whose sole aim is to make mischief and create confusion. They buy and consume alcohol and enter the sports. Last year, the same thing happened. What is sadder is that the authority figures – teachers and headteachers – are present in the ground, and cannot do a thing when things get out of hand.
I am asking the Ministry of Education to exercise more supervision of this event. If I had my way, inter-school sports would be attended only by the athletes because they take so much instructional time away from students and intrude on the delivery of the curriculum during the Christmas school term. I am very concerned, because it is always a challenge for me to move apace with my schedule of work.
The Minister of Education was right when he expressed concern that some teachers were not effectively administering the curriculum to the students. And events like these give credence to such statements by the minister.
If I had a child, I would not allow them to attend this event. It is not a healthy and wholesome place to be. We need to take care of this young generation and mould them the right way. When we allow them to be exposed to these kinds of events, and listen to such lewd music, we are definitely failing them.
After the activity is over, it usually transitions into a dance party; and we all know where that would lead. The eyes of the community are upon these events, looking for something to talk about, something that they can speak negatively about. Many times, they do see something negative and report it to the media. At the end of the day, events like inter-school sports are seen as an educational activity, therefore, we ought to implement some kind of standard which is certainly badly lacking.
Yours faithfully,
Leon Jameson Suseran