The People’s National Congress/A Partnership for National Unity (PNCR/APNU) is demanding that the government immediately suspend plans to close J.E. Burnham Primary School in Kitty, Georgetown, warning that the move would disrupt students, impose further costs on working-class families and deepen concerns about the fate of educational institutions associated with the late former President Forbes Burnham.
In a statement issued today, the political coalition called for broad consultation with parents, students, teachers and the Kitty community, arguing that the proposed closure was announced after families had already spent money preparing their children for the new school year.
The coalition also questioned the rationale behind the proposed closure, linking it to what it described as a pattern involving institutions associated with Burnham and Guyana’s political history.
The PNCR/APNU said:
“The timing of this announcement, within the new school year, after parents have already spent scarce resources on uniforms, books, and school supplies, demonstrates a callous disregard for working-class Guyanese families. Parents deserve predictability and respect, not abrupt decisions imposed on them after they have made financial sacrifices in good faith. This is a direct attack on the household budgets of the very people the government claims to serve.”
The proposed closure has placed the school’s future under scrutiny, particularly because of its historical association with Burnham, Guyana’s first Prime Minister and first Executive President, who founded the People’s National Congress (PNC).
Burnham was born in Kitty in 1923 and attended the local Methodist school, where his father, James Ethelbert Burnham, served as headmaster. The J.E. Burnham Primary School bears his name.
Coalition alleges pattern of targeting Burnham-linked schools
The PNCR/APNU said the proposed closure could not be viewed in isolation, pointing to the Winifred Gaskin Memorial School and Central High School as institutions it believes have also been affected by the government’s approach to schools associated with Burnham and the country’s national history.
“The PNCR/APNU also notes, with grave concern, the unmistakable pattern behind these closures. The same attitude was adopted toward the Winifred Gaskin Memorial School and Central High School, institutions likewise associated with the name Burnham and with our national history. We will not stand by and allow this government to systematically erase the name Burnham and our shared history from the landscape of Guyana.”
The coalition argued that schools carry significance beyond their immediate educational functions, serving as repositories of community identity and historical memory.
“Schools are not merely buildings; they are custodians of memory, heritage, and community identity. To target them one after another is an act of political vengeance dressed up as policy.”
The PNCR/APNU did not provide evidence establishing that the proposed closure was politically motivated. The government’s rationale for the decision, including the criteria used to select the school, was not included in the release.
Teachers’ fears and demands for consultation
The coalition also raised concerns about what it described as a climate of fear among teachers, alleging that educators had been intimidated into silence and were afraid to speak out about their rights and the future of their students.
“We are equally disturbed by the climate of fear among teachers, who have been intimidated into silence and dare not speak out for their rights or for the future of their students. When educators are afraid to voice dissent, and when institutions can be shuttered for ideological reasons, we are witnessing the hallmarks of modern-day dictatorship. A government that must rule through fear rather than consultation has lost its moral authority.”
The statement did not identify teachers who were allegedly intimidated or provide details of specific incidents.
The PNCR/APNU outlined four demands: an immediate suspension of any decision to close J.E. Burnham Primary School; genuine consultation with parents, students, teachers, the Kitty community and other stakeholders; public disclosure of the criteria used to select the school for closure, including an explanation of why institutions bearing the Burnham name appear repeatedly affected; and a guarantee that no teacher would face reprisals for expressing a legitimate opinion.
The coalition said it stood in solidarity with the school community and insisted that parents and educators must have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting students’ education.
“The PNCR/APNU stands with the parents, students, and teachers of the J.E. Burnham Primary School. We say to this government: consult the people. Listen to the people. You serve them, you do not rule over them.”
The release ended with a further expression of opposition to the proposed closure.
“Guyanese have had enough of this wickedness. We will not stand by and allow the government to take advantage of our people.”
The government’s explanation for the proposed closure and any plans for affected students and teachers were not included in the PNCR/APNU statement. Whether the proposal is driven by educational, administrative or infrastructure considerations remains unclear from the information released.
The immediate question is whether the authorities will suspend the proposed closure, disclose the reasons behind it and consult the families and educators whose lives would be affected by the decision.
