The championships are set for March 9-12 at the Enmore Community Centre ground, East Coast Demerara.

According to immediate past president Lance Baptiste, the GTU and the education ministry are in discussion concerning the issue that has long been a problem.

Baptiste said that the GTU was always governed by rules that did not cover private schools.

“We had been governed by certain rules for 40-odd years and those rules did and do not cater for private schools.”

Baptiste said that he never received a list of private schools approved to participate in the championships.

One championship official, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that there was a list of 12 schools that have been approved to participate in the championships.

But the past president said that if private schools were indeed approved then they would be up for national awards and this was not the case.

He disclosed that clearance was given for them to participate in only some events.

Baptiste pointed out that for these schools to be recognised and approved their athletes must have a 75 per cent attendance record from the period September to the date of the championships for eligibility.

He said too that the schools must have an administration and attendance register as a requirement.

The burning issue Baptiste said has been put on the front burner for discussion with the Ministry of Education; when the burner will be ignited is another question.

Baptiste referred to another issue concerning the Critchlow Labour College (CLC), whereby the institution was seeking permission to be included in the Georgetown Zone but it was not allowed because some students were not full time.

“A child with the required age goes to school on a full-time basis. He may be doing one or two subjects going in at 09:00 hrs and finishing at 10:00 hrs then he goes to work at some restaurant. Thus he is not full time. And this is the problem we had; so they were not allowed to participate. What answer are we going to give to the public out there about his attendance?”

Baptiste said another reason why the problem of private schools’ inclusion arose, was because of disciplinary reasons, for which there have been numerous complaints.

“You see private schools do not come under us, so the parents will say Ok, when does my child have to do so and so, I’ll bring him up or I don’t want my child to stay with the rest of the athletes, they will stay with aunty or cousin. Now we are trying to avoid this. If they are allowed to do this then others will want to do the same and it will break down the moral and discipline over the team.”

There are 16 districts participating in the championships; this problem does not only exist in Georgetown but all over the country.

Baptiste said for these schools to be approved and recognised a decision must come from the Chief Education Officer (CEO) of the Ministry of Education.

For now, Baptiste said the students from private schools have not been barred from participating but they were hoping that a decision could be taken soon to resolve the matter.

According to reports made to Chronicle Sport by a member of one of the districts, a signed document by the CEO is being ignored by the GTU that shows the schools have been approved to participate in the championships.

It was also disclosed that the parents of the private schools have sought the intervention of a lawyer to look into the matter.