It’s been over four years of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government and Guyana has witnessed one school fire after another. The tragedies have left communities grieving, schools in disarray, and parents or guardians wondering, how many more fires do we need before something is done?
As it stands, the Ministry of Education’s performance under Minister Priya Manickchand has been nothing short of a disaster, and it’s high time we ask: When will the government hold her accountable for failing to protect our children in their own schools?
The statistics are horrifying:
- June 2021 North Ruimveldt Secondary School in Georgetown was completely destroyed, affecting 444 students and 40 teachers.
- September 2021, a fire at North West Secondary School in Mabaruma displaced 610 students, 38 teachers, and 11 staff members, caused by arson.
- July 2022 saw St. George’s High School—right next to the iconic St. George’s Cathedral—go up in flames, leaving 421 students displaced.
- January 2023 Christ Church Secondary School was destroyed, affecting 502 children, 39 teachers and nine ancillary staff
- May 2023 Mahdia Secondary School dormitory fire, which claimed 20 young lives, all children, children who were supposed to be safe under the watch of the state. Yet, investigations pointed to multiple failures and systemic issues.
- June 2023 fired destroys Girls Hostel at Karasabai in Region 9
- March 2025 fired destroyed Mae’s School claiming the life of a firefighter, Vashaun Manbodh, and injuring several others.
Add to this is a staggering 14 fire-related incidents in 2024 alone, with seven of those linked to electrical failures.
The question is simple: How many more lives need to be lost? How many more schools or dorms need to burn down before we take this crisis seriously?
Minister Priya Manickchand has shown a blatant disregard for the safety of our children. Under her watch, our schools have burned to the ground with alarming frequency. If this were any other society, this kind of reckless negligence would have led to an immediate firing—not condoning her continued tenure.
Yet, here we are, as parents and guardians living in constant fear of what comes next. Will it be your child’s school that’s next on the list? Will your child be the next casualty of this unsafe system?
It is not just the emotional devastation that burns, but the learning loss, the disruption, and the trauma. What will become of the children who have to suffer this ongoing chaos? How can we, as a society, look at our children’s futures with any hope when our Minister of Education is failing to safeguard them in the very institutions meant to nurture them?
If Minister Manickchand cannot ensure the safety and well-being of Guyana’s children, what on earth is she doing in her position? This isn’t just about policy failures—this is about lives. How many more must we lose before accountability is demanded? How many more fires will it take for us to say enough is enough?
In any other country, there would be public outrage, there would be calls for her immediate resignation, and there would be consequences for such gross incompetence. Yet, here in Guyana, we’re left to wonder if our children’s lives matter at all to those in power.
This is not just a problem for the Ministry of Education. This is a societal failure, an issue that should unite every parent, every teacher, every guardian, and every citizen in the country. But it starts with the one in charge: Minister Priya Manickchand.
If she cannot prioritise the safety of our children and ensure the stability of our schools, then it’s time for her to step down. If not, then we must continue to ask: How many more fires will it take?
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The Blackout column allows for the expression of views of independent writers. The views are not necessarily those of Village Voice News,
