Georgetown: In a sustained effort to further reach out to parents of school children, the Ministry of Education (MOE) – led by the Honorable Minister of Education, Ms. Priya Manickchand – is attending a number of Parent Teachers Association (PTA) meetings across the country, starting in Georgetown. These engagements are resulting in the thorough ventilation of a number of critical issues affecting schools that are to be resolved, with alacrity, by various departments within the ministry.
At these well attended meetings, parents are given the opportunity to voice their concerns in a civilized enabling environment that facilitates the healthy exchange of ideas that address mutually agreeable ways of solving the problems and the concerns raised. So far, the presence of the relevant MOE officials at these PTA meetings, particularly that of the Honorable Minister, underscores the extreme seriousness with which the ministry intends to treat with the many concerns of parents.
A number of issues have been raised during several PTA meetings recently attended by officials of the MOE, and are currently being addressed by the relevant departments within the ministry. These range from overcrowding, lack of furniture, and safety, to staffing, punctuality and attendance (both teachers and students), literacy and numeracy.
The Honorable Minister of Education, Ms. Priya Manickchand says that: “The main objectives of these constructive PTA engagements are to emphasize the usefulness of partnerships amongst all stakeholders and to highlight the importance of more proactive involvement of parents in the lives of their children. Furthermore, they serve to inform all involved that these schools will receive more monitoring and evaluation, with a view to producing better and more rounded students which will result in better grades.”
Some of the schools visited for this term are as follows: Stella Maris Primary, Graham’s Hall Primary, St Gabriel’s Primary, St Margaret’s Primary, West Ruimveldt Primary and Winfer Gardens Primary. A number of others schools in and out of Georgetown are to be visited within the coming weeks as the ministry continues to work closely with PTAs nationwide.
Parents are very pleased to be able to interact directly with ministry officials at these PTA meetings and view these interactions as meaningful in facilitating the timely resolution of problems and issues affecting the schools their children attend.
“I think it is a good thing for persons from the ministry to be part of PTA meetings. I feel it provides a very good opportunity for them [ministry officials] to get firsthand information on the issues and problems affecting the schools. This I believe is important in having the ministry iron out the issues raised as soon as possible,” said one parent of West Ruinmveldt Primary.
The MOE wishes to encourage more parents to attend PTA meetings and to use every available opportunity to raise any valid concerns they may have with the relevant administrators present regarding any particular school. The MOE promises to address the concerns of parents as it relates to the further enhancement of the learning environment in which their children exist at the various schools. Let us continue to work together for the betterment of our children and avoid the ugliness of unnecessary protest action. The MOE remains open to all discussions regarding the ways it can partner with PTAs and other stakeholders to further enhance the learning environment of our nation’s children.
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