16 NEWS
SATURDAY, MAY 22, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
Education Ministry examining September reopening of schools – Manickchand T
he Education Ministry has taken a decision to keep all schools closed for the remainder of this academic year, as officials work towards a September reopening for all levels. Education Minister Priya Manickchand informed in a briefing on Friday the move to keep classrooms closed was in keeping with advice from the Health Ministry. Only grades which were already operating in a physical classroom space will continue for this month and the remainder of the academic year. “We have taken a decision based on the advice of the Ministry of Health to remain closed for the rest of this school year, which ends usually around the end of June [or] first week in July. We will therefore remain closed for the month of June, except for those classes that have already returned to the classroom,” she shared. Manickchand pointed out that Government is looking to reopen schools by September, given that the vaccination rate increases to a significant percentage and there is some degree of normalcy in the population. “If persons are responsible in getting vaccinated and utilising the only scientific
Education Minister Priya Manickchand
and medical way of bending the curve of the COVID-19 disease, we are going to be able to resume a state of relative normalcy. We expect, therefore, to be able to reopen schools in September of 2021 to every grade level and we will work very hard to make sure that happens,” it was pointed out.
CXC dates impact
The Caribbean Examinations Council is contemplating whether to pursue the sitting of CAPE and CSEC examinations in the June-July timeline. This, the Minister cautioned, could significantly
impact the National Grade Six Assessment sitting in August. “We are also aware that the Caribbean Examinations Council is currently re-examining a decision that was made in January of this year that both CSEC and CAPE would be sat from June to July. We have many options on the table that could possibly change that timeline… When we fixed the date for the NGSA exams, we fixed that date consciously knowing what dates CXC would set their exams for and we made sure the NGSA was falling outside of that timeline.” Manickchand added, “If CXC changes their date, it would impact significantly on our NGSA. We heard parents and teachers and students when they said that they would ready for those exams in August and we are going to fight very hard to try to deliver those exams efficiently and smoothly and in a way that is in our children’s best interest.” In the meantime, the Education Ministry has been working to deliver the curriculum on other platforms, especially through online teaching, the Guyana Learning Channel, interactive radio instructions, and through the distribution of
worksheets and other printed learning materials. Just last week, the Booster programme for students writing the (NGSA) was launched to provide practice and lessons to students. This project features airings and rebroadcasts
on the Guyana Learning Channel and is supported by other mediums, such as YouTube, other forms of social media and cable networks. Classroom activity has been restricted since midMarch 2020 when Guyana
started witnessing an increase in positive cases. Presently, Grades 10, 11 and 12 students and those from Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions are facilitated in a classroom setting. (G12)
Pomona man gets 15-year jail term for manslaughter
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21-year-old man, who was charged with murder back in 2019 over fatally stabbing a man, has been sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment after admitting to the lesser offence of manslaughter. On Thursday, Alex Mathias of Pomona on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) was arraigned before Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court in Essequibo. The indictment for murder against him was presented by State Counsel Tiffini Lyken. Mathias elected to plead to the lesser count and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. On December 31, 2018, at Pomona ball field, he unlawfully killed 23-year-
Dead: Kevin Bettencourt
old Kevin Bettencourt. The prison authority will deduct the time that the convicted killer has spent on
remand. According to reports, Bettencourt of Vilvoorden, Essequibo Coast, was fatally stabbed by Mathias after he went to a residence where Mathias was allegedly visiting a relative, asking for someone. It was reported that Mathias, who was intoxicated at the time, asked Bettencourt to leave. As a result, the men ended up in a confrontation during which Mathias armed himself with a knife and stabbed Bettencourt. Following the incident, Mathias fled the scene but was arrested shortly after. A post-mortem examination revealed that Bettencourt died from perforation of the heart due to a stab wound.
(G1)
“Spleen” acquitted of taxi driver’s murder
Dead: Orin David
M
eadow Bank, G r e a t e r Georgetown resident Howard Rambarose has been acquitted of the August 1, 2016 murder of Orin “Malik” David, who was gunned down in front of his Laing Avenue, Georgetown home. Rambarose called “Spleen” and his co-accused, Jermaine Jefford called “Smokey”, were on trial before Justice Sandil Kissoon and a 12-member jury for the capital offence. On Friday, Justice Sandil Kissoon upheld a no-case submission made by Attorney-at-Law George Thomas on behalf of Rambarose. As such, the Judge directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty, after which he informed Rambarose that he was discharged and free to go. Jefford, on the other hand, was called on to lead a defence. In an unsworn
Murder accused Jermain Jefford; Freed: Howard Rambarose
statement, the murder accused told the court, “On the first of August 2016, I was at home at my Diamond residence with my threeyear-old son and my girlfriend…The evidence being led against me is false and fabricated, your worship. I am innocent of this crime. I do not know about this crime…This is unfair to me sir…” State Counsel Lisa Cave is appearing for the prosecution, while Senior Counsel Stanley Moore is representing Jefford. On Friday, Cave and Moore made closing addresses to the jury. Justice Kissoon will sum up the evidence in this matter on Monday before putting it to the jury for deliberation on a verdict. According to reports, David was shot dead in front of his Lot 89 Laing Avenue, Georgetown home, in the presence of his reputed wife and relatives. It was report-
ed that David, a father of one, was shot following an argument stemming from the payment of debts. It was reported that David had bailed Jefford out of prison. However, when he confronted Jefford for the money, a heated argument ensued between them. It is alleged that Jefford left David’s home and returned sometime after with four other men in a motor car. One of the men exited the vehicle and discharged several rounds at David. The injured man was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was pronounced dead. Following a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) in 2017, Rambarose and Jefford were committed to stand trial for the offence before a Judge and jury. The Magistrate presiding over the PI had ruled that sufficient evidence had been presented to put them on trial.
