Children in Georgetown and elsewhere returned to schools in large numbers yesterday following the end to the five-week teachers’ strike.
Even though the strike had officially ended last Thursday, the majority of children had not attended.
Yesterday most city schools reported 95% - 100% attendance by both teachers and children and it was “almost work as usual”.
But Stabroek News has also noted that some parents had taken their children out of the public school system during the strike and placed them in private schools in the city.
When contacted about attendance yesterday, officials of the Georgetown Education Department said they were not in a position to monitor the schools as the department was holding a heads of primary schools meeting and would be in a better position to do so today.
Some parents and guardians told Stabroek News they were relieved to get their children back to school. For some it meant spending less because they had had to disburse extra money for childcare. For others it now means spending more to pay for transportation and meals.
There are a little over five school weeks left in the school term which ends on July 4. The term is being further interrupted for secondary school children as a number of secondary schools are currently being used as centres for students writing the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and General Certificate of Education (examinations).
A number of canteen operators welcomed the return of the children. Some operators said they depended on the children patronising their businesses.
One operator at a leading city primary school said that the returns from her canteen were her livelihood.
Apart from the canteens, groceries were also reportedly affected by the strike and one grocery owner in Alberttown told this newspaper that until schools “reopened” this week he would not stock up on groceries.
Also welcoming the return to school were minibus operators and taxi drivers. These include special hire buses and cars doing school runs.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers’ Union are scheduled to meet today to start discussions on the salary in-creases for 2002 after which they will look at 2003 and 2004. The two parties held their first bilateral meeting on Friday when they worked out the framework within which they will hold discussions. (Miranda La Rose)