Education Minister, Priya Manickchand during a live social media broadcast today, urged investigators to act swiftly so that the perpetrators in the assault of the Fort Wellington Secondary School teacher are brought to justice.
Manickchand said in the meantime, the ministry has offered, and will continue to offer, its support and assistance to the teacher.
“Yesterday, not too long after he was beaten and as soon as I had heard, I spoke to teacher Marlon Daniels of the Fort Wellington Secondary to find out what had happened. Upon learning of the details I offered my and the ministry’s full support,” Manickchand said adding that the Guyana Police Force needs to act swiftly on the matter.
“There can be no reason offered that would be accepted as to why students or their relatives would beat a teacher…,” the minister said.
The assault of a young teacher had raised safety concerns for other professionals in schools across the country.
The young teacher who was assaulted yesterday told detectives in the district that he was assaulted and threatened by one of his students, the child’s uncle, and four men at the Fort Wellington Secondary School.
He told detectives that the attack stemmed from an incident in which the student hurled homophobic remarks at him. The student and several others were taken to the Principal’s office and punished.
This resulted in the student promising to return with his uncle, who eventually came with others, and began assaulting the teacher at a photocopy shop in proximity to the school. The matter is currently being investigated by police in the district.
