Every new school term there is a concern about the ability of many schools to be ready and this term is no exception, as St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen has voiced concerns with just a few days to go before the new academic year starts.
She is also worried about many social issues affecting schools.
Speaking at the UNC’s weekly press conference on Sunday, Ameen said there are many social issues affecting the progress of an effective learning system and accused the Government of turning a blind eye to issues of school violence, bullying, sexual assault, school dropouts, safe school meals, and teacher absenteeism in the classroom.
She said the inclusion of Venezuelan migrant children from next month was only cosmetic, as only a minority will benefit from the programme.
“This Venezuelan crisis has been existing for years. The Government refuses to acknowledge the situation in Venezuela as a crisis because Keith Christopher Rowley has his interest with those in Venezuela. The situation with the migrants is something that the UNC and our Opposition leader have been calling on the Government to address, particularly with critical issues such as education and the children, healthcare for migrants, and their security and well-being,” Ameen said.
“We are concerned that while we hear of a programme for migrant children, we are concerned about the Government’s ability to implement that given their track record. They are only treating with a small margin and that the real problem with thousands of migrant children would not be addressed. Even the situation when they come here, how they are treated, we would not get to properly deal with that if we do not acknowledge and if Keith Rowley as a Prime Minister does not acknowledge this humanitarian crisis in neighbouring Venezuela.”
Ameen also pointed out: “Education in this country might be free but there are many children who do not have equal access to the same quality of education, and in schools that are government-run and funded. The Government has to look at its management system where staffing and resources are concerned, a look at the curriculum and the programmes in those schools so that every child across the board would have equal access to education and not about prestige school and secondary school and different types of school, but every school and every student would have that access.”