Exam date set for ‘distressed’ nursing students, exam leak still under police investigation

Last Updated on Monday, 6 February 2017, 12:58 by Derwayne Wills

The Public Health ministry, under new minister Volda Lawrence, has called on the Education Ministry for assistance in resolving an exam dilemma which emerged last year when students were told they might have to re-sit their examinations.

The Education Ministry will now assist the Public Health Ministry and the Nursing Council in crafting the multiple choice questions for the aggrieved nursing students

The exams will be administered on February 21 and a group of persons will be recruited to mark the essay section of the exam. Those results are expected by February 28, while students will receive their results early March.

This will affect some 150 students, according to numbers from the Nursing Council.

While former public health minister, Dr George Norton, had said one official integral to the investigation was out the country, Lawrence said that official has not been engaged.

Asked whether that official had resigned or is on administrative leave, Minister Lawrence said the official is no longer engaging the Nursing Council.

Asked further whether the official was a public health official or a nursing council official, Minster Lawrence said it is assumed the person under question was attached to the Guyana Police Force.

Vibert Forde, a nursing student at the press conference, said the students have been in a disturbed emotional state. “We’ve been advised to work on clinical areas. It has been stressful and disturbing and it seems fair,” he said speaking about his approval of the resolution.

“This will benefit us the students and nursing professionals,” he continued.