A 12-year-old girl told officials she had never been to school. She said her mother and stepfather were both alcoholics and she spends every day around the ferry stelling begging for money to take home to them.
By Clifford Stanley

FOUND LOITERING: officials of the team withsome of the children found out of school yesterday. (Photo by Eddie Archer)


OFFICIALS of the Department of Education in Region Five, with the assistance of other agencies, detained some three dozen children of school age who were found loitering near the ferry stelling and other areas in Rosignol, West Bank Berbice, when they started an anti-truancy campaign yesterday.

The children, mostly boys, gave home addresses in Rosignol and Blairmont, also on the West Bank Berbice.

They were all placed in a mini-bus and taken to the Liberty Society Hall in Rosignol where they were held pending the arrival of their parents.

They were interviewed in the presence of their parents and guardians, counselled and warned and subsequently released.

The team which conducted the exercise was led by Schools Welfare Officer in Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice), Ms. Roxanne Charles.

It included officers of the Police Force, the Blairmont Community Policing Group, a member of the Health Department and retired school teachers.

One of the truants, a 12-year-old girl, told officials she had never been to school. She said her mother and stepfather were both alcoholics and she spends every day around the ferry stelling begging for money to take home to them.

She said that her mother beats her and sends her back to the stelling to beg for more money when what she takes home is not felt to be enough.

A 12-year-old boy said he was not going to school because his father had torn up his birth certificate while he was drunk.

Education officials told the children and their parents that yesterday's exercise was the first of many to be held in Region Five to ensure that all children of school age go to school.

They told parents the department is willing to discuss with them any special problems that would prevent them from sending their children to school and would assist in any way possible.

They warned that the department will revisit the Rosignol area soon and that parents of those children who are netted for the second time can expect to be prosecuted under the Education Act Chapter 39:01.

The offence draws a fine as well as imprisonment.

Yesterday's exercise in Rosignol attracted crowds of onlookers, many of whom loudly expressed their support for the anti-truancy campaign which was launched late last year in the city.

Charles said the team will be visiting other areas in Region Five.