GEORGETOWN — The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) political party has raised serious concerns over alleged poor conditions at Aishalton Secondary School in South Rupununi, Region Nine, where Grade 7 students are reportedly being taught in the school’s kitchen due to a shortage of classroom furniture.
According to claims made by the group, approximately 63 students across three Grade 7 classes have been without desks and chairs since the start of the school term. The students, it is alleged, have been sitting in the kitchen each day to attend lessons because their classrooms remain unfurnished.
Parents and teachers reportedly told WIN that students are forced to take notes from a single laptop screen, since there are no blackboards in the makeshift space. This, they claimed, has resulted in poor concentration and limited participation, with some parents choosing to keep their children at home rather than send them to school under the current conditions.
The school reportedly serves children from several nearby villages, including Karaudarnau, Awarunau, and Maruranau. Staff members allegedly wrote to the Regional Education Officer (REO) in August, ahead of the September reopening, requesting furniture and other basic materials.
However, WIN said that “no action has been taken to date,” even though the school term is now halfway through.In addition to the reported lack of furniture, WIN also highlighted claims of unreliable electricity and poor ventilation at the facility, which make it difficult to operate fans or electronic devices for extended periods.
Describing the situation as “unacceptable,” WIN urged the Ministry of Education and the Regional Democratic Council to intervene urgently, saying that hinterland students must not continue to face “conditions that would be deemed intolerable anywhere else in the country.”
“The neglect of our hinterland students must cease,” the group said in its statement. “Education should be an equal right, not a privilege determined by geography.” The Ministry of Education has not yet issued a public response to the allegations, but regional officials have reportedly been made aware of the matter.
