Aroaima parents furious as children transported in speedboats without life jackets

Feb 28, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – Last Friday, over 15 students attending the Kwakwani Secondary School who reside in Aroaima were forced to be transported home in a small speedboat without life jackets after they were stranded in the community.

This has not been the first time the students were left behind and were forced to contract a private boat operator to transport them home under unsafe conditions. In fact, parents expressed that this is a regular occurrence and are calling on the relevant authorities to look into the matter.

On a usual school day, students are transported to and from school by a school bus or by boat. They interchange the services weekly. One week, some use the bus while others use the boat and the following week, they switch their mode of transportation. Students related that it was a rainy day and they were occupied with school activities later than expected.

Students being transported without life jackets in a speed boat

A student managed to contact a boat operator from the reservation village who came to transport them home. The boat operator related that this is a regular occurrence. When questioned, no clear reason was given by the contracted driver as to why the children were left behind.

A student called Forensic Interviewer/Theripist attached to Blossom Inc. Child Advocacy Center Kwakwani, Selina DaSilva and reported the issue. DaSilva then contacted the School’s Welfare Officer immediately, Shekira Goring who is attached to the Sub-Region 2 area.

The school bus was recently provided to the community for the children to be transported between the two villages but still cannot fit all the students on a daily basis so some are still forced to use the boat. Parents also related that the children are required to pay $1500.00 monthly to travel. However, Regional Education Officer, Nicola Matthews, said this should not be the case since she provides fuel and gasoline for the bus and boat and the boat operator is paid through the region. Relative to the issue on Friday, she said, “We have never had complaints before about this, so we will look into it”.

Parents are calling for a better monitoring of the situation so as to ensure their children’s safety when being transported to and from school.

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Blossom Inc., Child Advocacy Center, Forensic Interviewer, Selina DaSilva, Theripist

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