Linden's Tenth Mayor

21/06/2025

To the Head Teachers, Ministry of Education, Department of Education – Region #10, and Guyana Teachers' Union
I am once again pleading with you—please take a serious and immediate look into the continued use of corporal punishment in our schools.
Sixty lashes, is what one child recieved in a session , along with others who had 15, 16, even 30 lashes, because they got incorrect answers on a grade six paper while they are in grade 5. Note this is not in preparation for common entrance yet, this is for the grade five assessment which is set by this country to assess the level of the child, so we know where to focus in the two terms left for them to write Common Entrance. This is not discipline. THIS IS ABUSE. Why did this teacher who is paid to teach not take that time to reteach the concept, it might have taken less time. Why was her first instinct to punish instead of to educate?
Students are begging not to mention the teacher name because they fear retribution. Image the same people set to educate our children are becoming the persons they fear the most but are forced to sit in a classroom for 6 hours, 5 days a week with. Do you know what this is doing to our kids. Let me add here to the parents who are saying beat them if you have to. The children will not only hate their teachers they will hate the person who brought them into this world and allowed them to be abuse with no care. But let me be clear: if the department needs a name, call me—I will sing like a canary. I will not be silent when children are suffering.
Note, this is not the first time I have raised this issue. I previously contacted the Department of Education and was told that unless the child was my own, they could check the school but cannot do much more. Is that truly the standard we are setting? Must we wait for a video to go viral? Or worse—must we wait for a child who left home hungry and broken to collapse before action is taken?
Let me be honest about who I am. I am a teacher. I teach the children others cast aside—the ones labeled “slow” or “difficult.” I stay back. I work overtime. I reteach. I don’t give up. I give the same test twice—once where the children read for themselves, and again where I read it to them—not because I want them to “pass,” but because I want to understand what they truly know. I assess reading, comprehension, and content knowledge—because every child deserves a chance.
This isn’t required by the curriculum. I do it because it matters. I do it because I see the joy in their eyes when they realize they understood the answer all along. That joy is why I teach.
But the primary system is ripping that Joy from our childrens eyes and heart. The pain I feel when children walk into my secondary classroom, with no life or joy behind their eyes; just fear, shame and silence. I have to work to bring back their confidence, their trust and hope that they are not hopeless. I’ve already raised concerns about practices at two of the high flying primary schools in this township—particularly in the upper grades where the pressure of Common Entrance is high. But I know this is bigger than two schools.
This must end. The children deserve better. Guyana deserves better.
If no action is taken, I will escalate this to the Minister of Education directly. Not out of anger, but out of love—for the children, for the profession, and for the future we say we are building.
Respectfully,
A Concerned and Committed Teacher

21/06/2025

Waneka’s Opinion Piece: “A Seat at the Table or a Place in History?”
Everyone seems to have something to say about someone’s political stance these days, so I figured—why not add my voice to the mix?
But first, a little disclaimer: I don’t consider myself a politician. Most people assume I am. But in the buzzing world of politicking, I’ve been told by “seasoned political analysts” and die-hard party veterans that I’m not. And honestly? I’m good with that. The only title I’m truly aiming for is Child of the King.
Now, to my opinion—and yes, I’ll tell it through a story.
Not too long ago, I watched a news report that chilled me. Five young men walked into a school and opened fire on their classmates and teachers. When asked why, they answered: “No one liked us.”
I did laugh—but not the haha kind. It was the kind of laugh you give when something makes no sense. Because last I checked, five is a group. If nobody liked them, couldn’t they have found solace in each other? I mean, five of them... with five families, five sets of mothers, fathers, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins. There was community around them. But something broke.
That story reminds me—painfully—of what’s happening in our political landscape.
Let’s talk numbers. Twenty-eight political parties are contesting the upcoming elections. That’s not a joke—twenty-eight individuals are hopefuls for president.
Now, let’s be real: The PPP and PNC have planted their flags. Love them or hate them, they’ve stood the test of time. They’ve shown their true colours—and for those who are watching, they have seen and understood. The remaining 26 parties? Many are breakaways, born from disappointment, dissatisfaction, or defiance. But they didn’t walk alone. Each took supporters, believers, and families with them.
To even get on the ballot, each of the 26 minor parties must gather at least 400 endorsements. That’s 10,400 people just to get those 26 validated. Let’s say each of those people brings a household of three—that’s 31,200 Guyanese already aligned with someone.
Guyana’s voting population is approximately 500,000. That leaves around 468,800 votes in play—still a powerful number.
In the last elections, here’s how it looked:
- APNU/AFC: 217,920
- PPP/C: 233,666
That’s 451,586 votes locked between the two major players.
Smaller parties gathered:
- ANUG – 2,313
- CG – 1,953
- LJP – 2,657
- PRP – 889
- TCI – 680
- TNM – 244
- URP – 360
Total minor votes: 9,096
That still leaves 39,318 potential voters who didn’t turn up last election. These are not just statistics—they’re voices waiting to be heard, and they may be inspired by a new message.
But here’s the real twist: if each of those 39,318 voters who stayed home last time were to show up—and bring just three more people along—we’re talking about nearly 118,000 votes. That alone could change the entire outcome of an election.
And let’s not forget—many of the 26 new parties were formed by people who walked away from the two giants: PPP and APNU/AFC. If each party manages to pull even a third of the support they left behind, that's potentially over 150,000 votes up for grabs. Now imagine what could happen if those voices came together—not scattered in competition, but focused in cooperation.
Here’s are my questions to the 26 parties:
Why did you walk away?
Do you think you can do it on your own?
What would it take for you to unite?
I sincerely hope your opposition to the established parties comes from a place of principle—not bitterness. And I pray your aim is not to splinter the nation further, but to build something better.
Because the truth is: None of you can make it alone.
If each party charges ahead, fixated on the presidential seat, you risk doing what those five boys did—causing destruction because you felt unheard. But if you can pause, reflect, and unite, then maybe—just maybe—you can rewrite this country’s story.
Imagine: 26 parties putting aside ego, greed, and political ambition to form a coalition of care. Imagine choosing a consensus candidate not based on popularity or power, but on love for country.
Now that would be a campaign worth voting for.
Because sometimes the real victory isn’t in claiming a seat—it’s in changing the game altogether.

20/09/2024

The important thing to note about CXC is, regardless of which school your child is placed at, in five years they will all write the same examination. I am proud to see the passes at CXC from Harmony. Our children can rise, they just need the eight environment. Congratulations

20/09/2024

🎊 👏 💐 🥳 🎊 congrats

Harmony Secondary School Top Performers CSEC 2024

20/09/2024

Congratulation

Harmony Secondary School Top Performers CSEC 2024

20/09/2024

Congratulationsssss

Harmony Secondary School Top Performers CSEC 2024

19/09/2024

Congratulations to our very own Makada Critchlow for her outstanding achievements at the Miss Guyana Teen Scholar Pageant!👸🏾

Winning First Runner-Up, Best Speaker, and Best Social Enterprise Presentation, showcases her exceptional talent, dedication, and passion.👏🏽

We are incredibly proud of you!👸🏾💙

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11/08/2024

I am tired and fed up and when I am finished. I am fed up and tired. Most teachers did not come into this profession for the money... but money is the answer to all things and a man is worthy of his hire. Both are biblical references.
This disrespectful 10% while the sugar industry garnering millions is a sign of how the people elected to serve forgot thier mandate.

You know when someone loves you by the way they treat you, not there words..... their actions. We do it in relationships let's start looking at it in politics.

Next year is an election year, people will take podiums to profess how they love us, how they will work for us, how they will change for us.

Watch them, hear them, listen to them. But remember how they treated you.

I always say. People may not always remember what you say or what you do. But they will always remember how you made them feel.

Ensure when you place your X, you reflect on how the politicians made us feel.

04/08/2024

17/07/2024

Congratulation team.

15/07/2024