Education Minister begins meeting Religious Leaders

Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, has begun to engage leaders in the religious community to address the issues of school dropouts and antisocial behaviours in the school environment.

Manickchand disclosed that over the last week, she has met with religious leaders in the Christian and Islamic communities and will soon be meeting with leaders from the Hindu community. The minister revealed that during the meetings, she pointed out that the Ministry has implemented several measures aimed at ensuring students return to school and receive an education in a safe and cohesive environment.

Mannickchand said that since schools have been reopened, in addition to addressing the issue of school dropouts, the Education Ministry has been dealing with reports of violent and antisocial behaviour exhibited by students, particularly those in secondary schools.

As such, she stressed that the religious leaders were told that their help will be two-fold. She noted that they will assist the Ministry in carrying out “Operation Recovery” by engaging early school leavers and their parents within their respective communities. This, she said will help to determine the reasons behind the students leaving school and find solutions to ensure they are back in the classroom receiving the education they rightly deserve.

Manickchand noted secondly, their presence in schools will be used to curb antisocial behaviours by counselling and guiding students to make better decisions which will positively impact their lives.

The education minister said that this is part of the Ministry’s expansion of its social work capacity to be able to respond the needs of students across the country. She added that the education ministry is committed to ensuring each child has access to educational opportunities.