MP Mahipaul files motion for site of Mahdia Dorm fire to be declared memorial site

Shadow Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Ganesh Mahipaul, has submitted a motion to the National Assembly to have the Mahdia dormitory site, where a fire on May 21, 2023 that resulted in the death of 20 children and injuries of several, be declared a historical memorial site and a monument constructed.  The Member of Parliament also wants a commission of inquiry into the tragedy.

Last Tuesday, President Irfaan Ali announced the appointment of former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, retired Major General Joe Singh, to head the inquiry. The announcement has been met with widespread criticism for the government’s failure to be inclusive. The political opposition and other stakeholders were excluded from having a say in the composition of the team. The government is yet to announce the Terms of Reference.

Mahipaul’s motion acknowledged the fire was among the deadliest involving school dormitories in the last 30 years. He drew attention to the government ignoring the warning of the Guyana Fire Service, given between November of 2022 and February of 2023, that the dormitory was a fire hazard. The Member of Parliament also drew attention to the Fire Service’s recommendations, prior to the fire, for grills to be removed from the dormitory which was ignored.

Read the entire motion below:-

MOTION CALLING FOR THE MADHIA DORMITORY SITE TO BE DECLARED A HISTORICAL MEMORIAL SITE, A MONUMENT TO BE CONSTRUCTED AND A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY TO BE HELD.

WHEREAS, on May 21, 2023, a fire broke out in a secondary school dormitory in Mahdia, Potaro-Siparuni, Region 8 Guyana, resulting in the deaths of at least 19 female students and a 5-year old boy;

AND WHEREAS, the fire was among the deadliest involving school dormitories in the last 30 years;

AND WHEREAS, the Guyana Fire Service flagged the said dormitory as a fire hazard in November of 2022 and February of 2023;

AND WHEREAS, recommendations by the fire service for grills to be removed from the Mahdia dormitory prior to the blaze that claimed 21 lives were made to the Regional Executive Officer through the Regional Education Officer but the grills were never removed;

AND WHEREAS, the fire service had highlighted the need for the grills over the windows to be removed, the dormitory and school be equipped with fire extinguishers, and for the installation of a smoke detector.  A fire inspector’s report was also submitted to the Guyana Fire Service headquarters;

AND WHEREAS, the Ministry of Education in 2021 collaborated with UNICEF to develop comprehensive gender sensitive standards for dormitory schools in Guyana – ensuring comfortable, safe resilient learning and living spaces created through a focus on the use of green technologies, sustainable resources and locally available materials and skills;

AND WHEREAS, This collaborative effort with the Ministry of Education was made possible through a project partnership between the Canada High Commission and UNICEF and aimed to promote safe, secure, healthy learning environments for secondary school adolescent boys and girls living in dormitories in Guyana’s hinterland, through system strengthening and gender responsive programming for healthy lifestyles;

AND WHEREAS, It is from this background that the Ministry of Education sought support to develop appropriate comprehensive standards for school dormitories in Guyana to ensure safe, resilient comfortable spaces in all aspects of dormitory life. The project lasted for six (6) months beginning October 2021 to April 2022;

AND WHEREAS, the Ministry of Education-commissioned UNICEF report on state dormitories which highlighted dire conditions and the need for fire safety just around a year before the May 21, 2023 blaze at the Mahdia dormitory that resulted in the deaths of 20 children is yet to be made public by the Government of Guyana;

BE IT RESOLVED, that this National Assembly calls on the Government to declare the site where the 20 children unfortunately lost their lives, a historical memorial site and gazette it under the Guyana National Trust for maintenance and up keeping;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a monument be constructed in memory of the young children at the site;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this National Assembly calls on the Government to establish a Commission of Inquiry after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.

Moved by: __________________

Seconded by: ________________

Dated: 19^th June, 2023