Heavy rains, pandemic wreaking havoc in Region Nine

…crisis grips secondary school students and teachers
TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS HAVE FLOODED SECTIONS OF UPPER
TAKUTU/UPPER ESSEQUIBO (REGION NINE) disrupting residents lives especially
secondary school students currently preparing for this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education
Certificate (CSEC) tests offered by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).
With students and teachers forced to remain at home because of the current flooding, their
situation is worsened by the current outbreak of the contagious and deadly COVID-19 pandemic
which is on a rampage in the geographically largest of the 10 Administrative Regions in the
country.
The spread of the deadly virus in the Region contiguous to Brazil, which itself is experiencing
thousands of deaths from the pandemic, has aggravated the already delicate situation for the
authorities in the sprawling interior community with vast expanses of poorly patrolled borders
through which scores of tourists, including COVID-19 positive visitors, pour regularly.
Many Region Nine teachers and their charges from Sand Creek, Annai, Aishalton and St
Ignatius. Secondary Schools have also become victims of the deadly virus.
“We have had cases where several teachers and students tested positive. This has resulted in
heightened fear across the Region as many parents and even teachers are indeed fearful as to
what to expect within the education system. There is little that we can do because like them, we
are also at risk too,” a source told this media house www.aroundtheregions.com.
As a consequence of the unabated flood waters, internet services in Region Nine have become
unreliable, affecting students access to vital information necessary for preparation for the
upcoming CSEC examinations. Flood waters have also forced education officials to close the
four secondary schools there from time to time to protect staff and students.

“What we can say is that the on and off, on and off system with schools is indeed affecting
everyone. Many of the Regions’ students are given an opportunity to perform at their best in
several exams including CXC, (however) the students in Region Nine are at a grave
disadvantage,” said a source speaking strictly on conditions of anonymity.
“This is very worrying to all, as while some schools are able to open for some days, they are also
forced to close for several days. This prevents the teachers and even students from keeping up
with the education delivery of work in their examination preparation,” the source noted.
Sources stress the mental impact on the students would be severe and fears that it may grow
exponentially worse, pushing some students to quit their learning.
“Our fear is that they are already psychologically affected and by the time they get to the exams
they would be so severely affected that they would be unable to focus on their exams, thus
resulting in many of them being unable to do their best at these exams,” the source said.
“What we in Region Nine are faced with is very daunting and troubling as our students are not as
fortunate as those students on Georgetown or some other Regions where they have the luxury of
accessing the internet and other resources to enhance their learning during this pandemic. We are
trying to grapple with it, and what we can say is that if it’s this frustrating and worrying for us,
then what can we expect of the students? What we are fearful of is that at the end of the day
these students may not be able to cope with what is happening.”
Sources in Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo want regional authorities to draft an emergency
strategy quickly to help lift students and teachers out of the crisis spawned by flooding and
COVID-19 outbreak in the 15,000 residents who are mainly miners and cattle ranchers.
While the situation is grave, the sources held to the hope that some form of resolution
should be found urgently be reached to prevent “the worst CXC-related performances,” by
Region Nine students.