Rights commission awaiting info on exclusion of children from Mash contests
Investigations are underway, by the Rights of the Child Commission (RCC), into the disqualification of a six-year-old Region Six pupil from the Children’s Mashramani Calypso Competition.
According to RCC’s Chief Executive officer, Andre Gonsalves, the commission has been in touch with the Allied Arts Unit (AAU) of the Ministry of Education and is currently awaiting some key information from the relevant authorities there.
After being allowed to contest several rounds of the competition, 6-year-old Ezeka Minty was disqualified in what has been seen as censorship and a clear violation of the child’s rights under the United Nations Rights of the Child Convention. The disqualification of the child has also been seen as reflecting the government’s intolerance of anything remotely critical even from a child.
When this newspaper spoke with Head of the AAU Nicholas Fraser shortly after the pupil’s disqualification, he had blamed the region for letting the item, titled “Tell me how I must survive on 6.5?”, pass through their hands to the final round. One of the guidelines found in the rules booklet states, that “The lyrics of the calypso MUST be submitted to the Unit of Allied Arts along with the Entry Forms”. This indicates that the lyrics were first vetted by the relevant officials before the contestant was allowed to perform onstage.
At time when the competition was taking place, teachers were on their planned industrial action over the 6.5% increase they would have received from the government. Sources close to the ministry had disclosed to Stabroek News that on different occasions at the Children’s Costume Competition, there have been instances where political entries were overlooked. However, these sources surmised that this time around the calypso entry was not permitted given the unrest, at the time, with teachers across Guyana over their salaries.
A few days later, another student, Zoriah Martindale, was also disqualified from the competition, in the poetry category. Zoriah’s poem, titled “Dear Minister” focused on teachers working conditions and was penned by her teacher before the strike commenced.