…as Sexual and Reproductive Health Symposium concludes

Education Minister Sonia Parag on Saturday urged students in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), to resist peer pressure and make independent choices, warning that behaviours such as vaping and alcohol consumption can lead to addiction and have a negative impact on health, education, and future opportunities. She made the remarks as the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and other United Nations (UN) agencies, concluded a two-day Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Symposium at Bartica Secondary School, Region Seven. The initiative, now in its second year, concluded after two days of interactive sessions with dozens of secondary school students.

The exercise, which commenced on Friday brought together students and education stakeholders from Bartica Secondary and Three Miles Secondary schools. Centred within the national Health and Family Life Education framework, the initiative focused heavily on student empowerment, providing safe, structured spaces for young people to openly discuss puberty, menstrual health, teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence and healthy relationships. Parag attended the symposium and challenged students to understand the biological realities of their development while building deep internal resilience against negative societal pressures.