Students of Brickdam Secondary located in East La Penitence are being targeted and robbed by criminal elements in the vicinity of the school, according to the teachers.
The Ministry of Education in a press release yesterday stated that with the reopening of schools on November 9 for grades 10, 11, 12, PIC’s and TVET institutions, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand visited several schools to assess the situation on the ground. One such school was Brickdam Secondary which was relocated from its original location on Brickdam, Stabroek, to the East La Penitence Primary School building.
During the minister’s visit, the teachers informed her that the students are constantly being robbed by criminal elements in the area. They also reported that they advised the children to walk in groups in the hope that this would deter the criminals. However, this strategy failed to counter the criminal elements since the robberies have continued. The minister responded by assuring the educators that she would address the matter with a view to ensuring the children are able to attend school in a safe and comfortable environment.
According to the release, the Advisor to the Minister of Education Africo Selman met with teachers and students of the Brickdam Secondary School yesterday to listen to their concerns on the issue and to make an assessment of the environment so that corrective measures can be implemented. She also met with Deputy Commander of Region Four (4) ‘A’ Superintendent Guy Nurse who has committed to ensuring that there are increased police patrols in the area.
Parents have also reached out to the Ministry of Education lamenting the high incidence of robberies committed on the students attending the school.
Representatives of the Guyana Police Force will also be meeting with the teachers and students of the school to get a better understanding of the issue and will be implementing additional measures that will be tailored towards “eradicating the scourge.
Brickdam Secondary School is listed as an ‘A’ school that falls just outside of the top bracket of schools in the country. This institution over the years has been consistently producing good results at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examination (CSEC), the release added.
