Jesuit Missions UK

In the dark days that fell on Guyana since its independence from Britain in 1966, the Jesuits managed to keep going with their educational apostolate for another ten more years.

In 1976, the then Prime Minister and later Executive president of Guyana, Forbes Burnham, confiscated all Church-run schools. Reluctantly, the Jesuits along with other church groups gave up teaching and moved almost exclusively into parochial work. The schools the religious bodies managed were models of order, discipline and excellence.

Soon those who resisted Burnam's dictatorship found his persecution tactics intolerable. Teachers and students were submitted to indoctrination. Most of the able teachers left for North America and the Caribbean islands. Some even stopped teaching to become street vendors. Between 1976 and 1992 Guyana suffered its worst brain drain and education nose-dived .

A rigged referendum of 1978 gave the ruling of Burham almost total control over the lives of the people. In 1979, while photographing a protest march for the Catholic Standard newspaper, Fr Bernard Darke SJ was stabbed to death in broad daylight. The next year a very promising intellectual politician, Dr. Walter Rodney was murdered by a bomb in a walkie talkie he was given by a government agent. The agent disappeared from Guyana and it has taken until March this year for the International Court of Justice to send a team to Guyana to make pre­liminary enquiries into the death of Rodney.

Since the death of President Burnham ten years ago pressure began to build up for free and fair elections. People claimed that from the fraudulent elections and power grabbing there followed every form of corruptions: nepotism, racism, mis­appropriation of funds, lack of accountability, loss of integrity and general lethargy. Thanks to the efforts of a few stalwarts still left in the country, former US President Jimmy Carter negotiated with Des­mond Hoyte, the then President of Guyana a deal to have a new election commission and fresh electoral rolls. It was something the ruling party had resisted for nearly three decades. In the darkest days of Guyana's oppression, the Catholic Standard with itsed itor Fr Andrew Morrison SJ played a significant and at times lonely role in galvanizing the forces of progress for democracy and freedom.

After the free elections of October 1992, the new government found itself landed with a huge debt burden. Guyana owes the World Bank, the IMF and other bilateral donors about £1.3 billion that is £1,600 for every single person in Guyana. For every Guyanese dollar earned in exporting goods, 80% has to go to payoff the debt. How much material progress can Guyana make from a mere 20% of its exports.

Short of cash and talent, (many people emigrated during the dictatorship) the government of the veteran politician, Cheddi Jagan, is trying its best to put the country back on the mainstream of life. Fortunately there are still many wealth creators; gold mining and forestry. Our traditional exports of rice and sugar are slowly recovering from the ravages of past government policies. Some Guyanese have been emigrating. A few new buildings and business places now give the impression that the country is on the verge of a new life. Yet unemployment and underemployment are still serious handicaps.

Crime, illegal drugs, broken homes, school dropouts, teenage pregnancies, disputes before the courts are all on the increase. Guyana's poorly paid and ill trained police are not able to cope with the tide of disorder. All agree that without a moral change, our frail democracy will be in a shambles.

An editorial in the Sunday Mirror, the official paper of the present ruling party, had this to say in March this year; "We suggest that all forms of communication anded ucation be garnered in an effort to reestablish moral values in our society, to underline the virtues of honesty and integrity, to guide people on how to live with one another, and to reestablish self dignity, respect for family and neighbours. This includes the strengthening of family and the family as a source of training the child in basic values. The family, school, church and community bodies must take up this as an urgent task."

As we Jesuits saw openness in the newly elected government, we began to explore opportunities for service in the field of education. At our April 1994 Jesuit Conference we invited Dr. Dale Bisnauth, the Minister ofeducation to talk to us. He encouraged us to help with organising Moral and Family Life education in schools.

A month later Ms. Mable Thompson Smithers and myself offered a mini course at St Rose's High School. From June to August, I was engaged in grassroots efforts to win the support of community leaders in Berbice and Demerara, two of the most populated districts of the country. We produced a basic course in Moral and Family Lifeeducation. Weekend or one day seminars were organised in Berbice and Georgetown to prepare teachers for this new subject. Fifteen secondary schools were chosen for the pilot project; ten in different parts of Berbice and five in Georgetown.

From September to March we covered many moral and family topics including, health and happiness, family types and relationships in the family, identity, self esteem and human dignity, friendships, human sexuality, addictions, AIDS, smoking, alcohol and drug Evaluations by the students on the course showed that they appreciated the programme very much. They wanted it to be longer and part of the regular curriculum. They thought it should be extended to all schools.

Fr Michael Holman SJ , who was doing his tertianship in Detroit, was sent to Guyana as part of his training. Apart from keeping himself busy giving missions, retreats, spiritual direction; he became one of our most effective teachers of Moral and Family Lifeeducation in four secondary schools in Georgetown. His creativity, energy and interest changed our original notes into worksheets and lesson plans. With his expertise, gained at Wimbled on and the Mount, we are now able to focus better on the need s of various age groups and offer our programme in a brisk and lively manner. Our coordinating team has been extended to include Sr. Yvonne Searwar OSU, Pastor Claire Smith of the Congregational Church and Mr. Bashir Khan, a devout Muslim teacher. Ours is an interfaith body with a pluralist philosophy to gain the support of a wide cross section of Guyanese society.

As Moral and Family Lifeeducation is going to be a part of the school curriculum, we urgently need plenty of teachers equipped to handle the subject. We are presently seeking permission to offer an optional course within the Bachelor of education Programme in the University of Guyana, an on going training at the Teacher Training College and in service teacher training courses.

Though the Ministry ofeducation is generous in giving us permission and encouragement, it has very little money. To promote the programme we need funds, to supply resources and cover expenses. We are sure that with God's help this will be forthcoming to help the most promising yet most vulnerable and challenging section of our society, the Guyanese youth.

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