| Reverend Patricia Sheeratan-Bisnauth of the Guyana Presbyterian Church, who is also Head of the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA),Cheap Jerseys From China, recently intimated her support for reviewing of Christian prayers inReverend Patricia Sheeratan-Bisnauth of the Guyana Presbyterian Church.public schools.Ms. Bisnauth expressed her surprise that Christian prayers are still the official prayers in most public schools across the country,Wholesale NFL Jerseys China, even as Guyana has been acknowledged as a pluralistic society since the 1970s. It was assumed that school prayers would reflect this plurality.Prayers,NFL Jerseys Supply, she stated, is a good thing but one needs to acknowledge that there are other religions who may not feel comfortable being subjected to prayers which do not reflect their beliefs. She stated that the move by the Education Minister is a good one. There is a pressing need to acknowledge other religions such as Hinduism, Islam and Rastafarianism amongst others within the public school system.“I personally think it’s a good move by (Minister Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine) as it will aid in respect for the different religions. It should never be about competitions to see whose god is better, but it should be about encouraging respect between these different belief systems. Hopefully,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, people will soon see how good this move is.”President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, has also expressed her support for the reviewing of Christian prayers within public schools.Persaud stated that sections of her organization had brought up the issue of having universal prayers in public schools with previous Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand. She recalled that while promises were made, no follow up action was taken by the Ministry.Persaud opined that exposing children of different religions to one specific religious prayer will most likely foster negative feelings towards other religions.“It has always been a belief of mine that we should have universal prayers within our schools,” said Persaud. “By using such a prayer, it promotes tolerance and respect for each other’s cultures, especially in a country such as ours.”She said that she would like to see the Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine act on his promise quickly. She suggested, however,Cheap Soccer Jerseys For Sale, that before he begins to make such changes within the school system he should first hold meetings with various religious bodies and organizations.Despite the various religions existing within Guyana’s society and the country’s position as a secular state, most public schools across Guyana see students reciting Christian prayers despite their religious affiliation.According to the Constitution of Guyana, the practice of having Christian prayers in public schools across the country is in contravention of laws set out in relation to the separation of church and state.“If that’s the practice that is going on in these public schools,” the Minister stated,Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic, “it is not a practice we condone. We are a multi-religious country and we have to realize that we have multi-religious children so that whatever prayer is used in schools should not exclude any of the religions.”Roopnaraine said that the Ministry will soon review the practice which could possibly be detrimental to social cohesion. He revealed that he will soon start disseminating information countrywide to inform teachers of the need of having interdenominational prayers in the nation’s schools. |
