Region Eight councillor Neim Mohammed Gafoor, who publicised that Kato primary school children were made to carry logs for meals, is insisting that this has been a regular occurrence and that the distance travelled by the pupils was more than the half mile stated by the Regional Education Officer (ReDO).
Gafoor, an AFC representative on the Potaro/Siparuni Regional Democratic Council (RDC) earlier this month released photographs of the pupils carrying logs in April. His motives for releasing the photographs just two weeks ago have since been questioned.
Minister of Education Priya Manickchand subsequently commissioned a report on the matter from the ReDO, who said that the matter had been addressed by Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud during a visit to Kato after the April incident and that