Former Chief Education Officer and Education Specialist, Mr. Olato Sam, was shot dead early this morning. He was reportedly struck by a stray bullet at the Plaisance Railway Embankment (Line Top), East Coast Demerara (ECD).
According to eyewitness’ report, Sam and a group of friends were hanging out at the Line Top area when a fight broke out across the road from where they were.
Gunshots were reportedly fired and the group decided to leave the area but observed Sam fell to the ground. He was injured in his chest and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
As Education Specialist, working with the Ministry of Education, Sam offered technical advice for the implementation of educational policy at learning institutions covered by the ministry.
He lectured at the University of Guyana in both the masters and bachelors programmes in Education.
Sam served as Chairman of the Guyana School of Agriculture; Commissioner on the Teaching Service Commission; member of the Caribbean Examinations Council’s Final Awards Committee; Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Cyril Potter College of Education; member of the CARICOM Taskforce on Teacher Education and Training; and member of the CARICOM Task Force on the Establishment of Teaching Councils.
As the time of death, Sam was reportedly working on several initiatives with the Ministry of Education, including a plan to address violence in school.
