Still no update on Queen’s College flogging incident
-Chief Education Officer says he was advised not to engage with press
The authorities are still mum regarding the Queen’s College flogging incident that occurred on May 16.
The new school year is to commence tomorrow and up to now no information has been provided on the status of the recommendations submitted to the Ministry of Education by the Queen’s College Board of Governors.
The Sunday Stabroek reached out yesterday to Chief Education Officer Saddam Hussain seeking an update. However, when contacted for comment, Hussain declined to provide any information. “No comment to the press. I was advised by the public service not to engage with the press, so no comment,” Hussain stated before hanging up the phone. Efforts to reach the head of the Queen’s College Board, Marcel Gaskin were unsuccessful,
The incident in question involved a senior teacher at Queen’s College who allegedly forced 10 students to unbelt their trousers and then beat them with the belts. This incident, which sparked outrage online, caught the attention of ChildLinK, an organisation dedicated to children’s rights and protection. ChildLinK has strongly condemned the use of corporal punishment, asserting that such practices have no place in a modern and progressive society like Guyana. The organisation has called on the Ministry of Education to adopt a more proactive
approach in eliminating what it describes as “dehumanizing behaviour” from its policies.
In June, the Queen’s College Board submitted recommendations to the Ministry of Education regarding the incident. At that time, Hussain assured that an update on the ministry’s decision would be forthcoming. However, to date, no decisions have been made public, and the promised update is yet to be provided.