So far, the changes made seem to be working, as according to Minister Shaik Baksh, the drop-out rate is currently at 6% in comparison with the 12% recorded in 2005.
Over the last few weeks several young men linked to criminal activities have been shot dead, wounded or charged.
A relative of alleged burglar Camillo Mitchell who was fatally wounded on November 25 told Stabroek News recently that the 19-year-old left school while in fourth form. The relative who did not want his name mentioned said that at the time Mitchell dropped out, he was attending a city school. The man stressed that he was not living with Mitchell at the time and was clueless as to why he dropped out of school.
After leaving school, this newspaper was told, the teen learnt the mason trade and would sometimes do “fisheries work” in the Meadow Bank, East Bank Demerara area.
Mitchell of Rahman’s Park, EBD was shot dead by a Robb Street businessman moments after he was reportedly caught trying to steal the man’s 50-inch plasma television. His relatives have since said that he was innocent of any wrongdoing.
Minister Baksh told Stabroek News last week that in any society there is always a linkage between school dropouts and crime.
It is as a consequence of this, he explained, that many changes have been taking place in the educational system over the last three years to ensure that is a decrease in the drop-out rate in the secondary school system.
One such change, Baksh explained is the Secondary School Proficiency Examination (SSPE), which has been making an impact. The minister told this newspaper that all of the schools involved, with the exception of one, have reported that there have been no dropouts. One school has reported one dropout.
“They [weak students] are remaining in the school because they are acquiring a skill. We remove them from the academic programme to a vocational programme and they are remaining to acquire their certificates,” he said.
According to the minister, from this point, a student can move on to an advanced SSPE and from there write the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination.
Baksh noted that the issue of school dropouts is a challenge but the ministry wants to ensure attendance. In this regard, the truancy campaign has had an effect and 19 parents will be appearing in court shortly.
Additionally, the ministry also has a parental education programme on stream since according to Baksh the ministry recognises that when children dropout of the school system without acquiring basic education it leads to poor parenting skills.
There is a ‘Skills for Life’ practical centre in the East Coast Demerara village of Buxton and it is the aim of the ministry, Baksh said to have 20 such centres to capture some of those school dropouts.
“Some will inevitably drop out from the school. No country has been able to have 100 % [school attendance] but we have to cater for those through our skills training programme not only through the Ministry of Education but through the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Labour so that we give these children a chance; a new chance in life. That is what it is about; to fulfil your potential in whatever way you can, earn income and keep out of trouble,” the minister said.
Baksh could not say which region has the highest dropout rate.
“I can’t answer you offhand. There are several regions which do have a problem including Georgetown. I don’t have the statistics and I don’t want to give you wrong information,” he said.
Reporting dropouts
According to Baksh, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has partnered with the ministries of Education and Labour to develop a programme called ‘Tackling Child Labour through Education’. He explained that ILO is assisting the ministries to develop a student tracking system.
“It is a weakness, it is a challenge for us, in that some schools are oblivious when this (drop outs) happens… so we would devise a plan and this would be linked to a computerized system and we hope that within a year we can have such a system so that it will show and action can be taken,” he said.
The minister said many schools do report on dropouts to the School Welfare Unit which is based in every region.
He explained that the task of the welfare officers is “to move into the homes and find out what is happening but I do not want to say that we covering it 100%”.
Baksh further told Stabroek News that dropouts were fewer in primary schools adding that while he did not have statistics to support this he knew that the attendance and completion rates at the primary level were very high.
He said the drop-out rate in secondary schools can be traced back to weaknesses at the primary level in terms of the standards of achievements of the students and that is the reason why “we have all these interventions. It cannot bear fruit in a year or two but we now have all these programmes and measures in place …”
The minister pointed out that the ministry had been working with teachers and thousands of them are on board in the fight against school dropouts.
“We are working in a supportive way with the teachers to help turn things around. It calls for a change in the mind set … I could understand the kind of resistance some people are having but we promise that we will review the programme from time to time and try to strengthen it,” he stressed.
Dropping out of school not the only factor in crime
Meanwhile a Region Ten Councillor has opined that while leaving school early plays a part in youths turning to a life of crime, poverty is the overriding factor.
The official who did not want his name published told Stabroek News too that in Linden, dropping out of school is mainly a result of poverty.
He explained that often children go to school without anything to eat and in addition to this there are other factors that contribute to them eventually dropping out.
The councillor told this newspaper that poverty is a serious problem in the mining town and it needs to be addressed urgently.
He said that when students complete their education, there are no jobs available for them and this results in households where only one parent brings in the income. The man noted that there are no recreational facilities for the youths of Linden.
He recalled that while growing up he did a lot of bad things and at one point stopped attending school. He told Stabroek News that it was neighbours who spoke to him and persuaded him to take in his education.
This level of community assistance he said is now lacking in Linden.
He added that the drop out rate there is not high since the welfare officers and police are doing an excellent job. Because of the continuing truancy campaigns he explained parents are now being forced to keep their children in school even if they have nothing to give them to eat.
The councillor opined that the government is suppressing the mining town by driving away all economic investments. He said the Brazil/Guyana road, which would create hundreds of jobs, and the LEAP project are prime examples.
