Dear Editor,
There have been two major activities this week of note – the National Toshaos Conference and the releasing of the CSEC/CAPE results. In the President’s speech on the opening day of the NTC, His Excellency spent much of his time focused on the achievements of the PPP/C government towards the Indigenous People of Guyana. Included in this was the number of scholarships awarded to Indigenous People in Hinterland communities. This should rightly be celebrated as the number of GOAL scholarships as a percentage of the Indigenous population is significantly higher than the ratio for any other ethnic group. Further, the President highlighted the efforts of the Ministry of Education in the construction of a further 16 secondary schools in Hinterland regions while 100% of teachers have either completed their education at Cyril Potter College or are currently undergoing studies. These successes and more we must commend the government for.
However, one area we cannot praise the government for is the deplorable condition and management of the Hinterland Dormitories at Liliendaal. These dormitories are home to the best and brightest of our young Indigenous scholars who excelled at their National Grade Six Assessments and left their homes at an early age for the promise of a better standard of education and greater opportunities. These students spend up to 10 months away from their family, friends, culture and all they have ever known to face is the stark contrast of Georgetown. One can assume that these children arrived with the hope that they will be catered for in a manner that reflects their heroic academic achievements and prospects. However, one must only take a visit to the dormitories to understand the poor state that these facilities are in. Many visitors might not even realize that they have reached the Hinterland Dormitories, as upon arrival, they could easily mistake it for a parking facility due to the vast and constant occupancy of vehicles which are earmarked for distribution – tractors, buses, Hiluxes etc. From the onset, it is clear that the dormitories are not a child friendly and learning conducive environment, much less a “home”.
Then, on inspection of the dorms themselves, the visitor might struggle to find a “Dorm’s father” who is responsible for the continual welfare of the male students as one has not been employed for more than 5 years. The visitor might then also be shocked at the drab aesthetics of the dormitory, the unrepaired facilities, the poor quality of the food, the lack of extracurricular activities, the abject living conditions and the questionable performance of the administrative staff that allows for high instances of drunkenness, sexual intercourse and more. One must remember that the students occupying the dormitories mostly have a single focus which is to attain high results at their CSEC and CAPE examinations. However, I believe that when they compare their living standards to their peers in Georgetown, they must wonder how they are still disadvantaged despite receiving their hard earned scholarship.
After completing their 5 years of secondary education in Georgetown and enduring the accompanying hardships, many of the dormitory students might reflect on whether they would have been better suited and might have even performed better if they had simply remained at home. To avoid this thought crossing the minds of our future Indigenous leaders, I implore the President and his government to make the multitude and magnitude of changes that are required at the Hinterland Dormitories.
Sincerely,
(Name and Address Withheld)
