Subsequent to the visit to the home at Victoria Village of a bullied Ann’s Grove Secondary student by Minister of Education, Hon. Priya Manickchand, a team of Ministry officials visited the Ann’s Grove Secondary school. The Minister was made aware of several students slapping and hurling abusive words at a special needs student by a cousin of the injured child and by the circulation of the video on social media.
On Monday, a team from the Ministry of Education visited the school in a pre-scheduled meeting to meet with children. parents and teachers who were directly involved. The delegation was led Deputy Chief Education Officer for Administration, Ms. Tiffany Favorite-Harvey and included by included Assistant Chief Education Officer for Secondary Education, Mr. Sherwyn Blackman; Regional Education Officer for the Demerara-Mahaica region, Ms. Keane Adams; Assistant Chief Education Officer for Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND), Dr. Keon Cheong; and The team engaged in extensive discussions with teachers, parents, and students.
As a result of that meeting, firm disciplinary action was taken against the students identified as perpetrators of the bullying. Depending on the severity of involvement, actions included mandatory counselling, psychological evaluations and/or student transfers and rigid monitoring.
The Ministry of Education expressed deep concern and disappointment with the way the issue was previously handled within the system. For the first time, since in or around 2021/22, counsellors have been deployed across all secondary schools (except for some in the Hinterland where the skill is not yet in existence). Over 133 counsellors currently are employed in our 117 secondary schools. Ann’s Grove Secondary also has a school counsellor.
The Ministry insists that the system must work and is currently investigating and reviewing why in this particular instant, this system failed.
Appropriate action will be taken at the conclusion of said review.
