President Ali warns of ‘pandemic of gangs’ in Guyana’s secondary schools

Guyana President Dr. Irfaan Ali has warned of a growing “pandemic of gangs” infiltrating secondary schools across the Caribbean nation, calling for urgent, coordinated action to address the problem at its roots.

Speaking at the opening of the Guyana Prison Service Annual Senior Corrections Officers Conference on Monday, Dr. Ali emphasized that interventions must extend beyond schools to include communities and homes.

“We have to take the bull by the horns. We have to get in our secondary schools. We have a pandemic of gangs in the secondary schools across the region now… we have to get into those schools, into those communities, into those homes,” he said.

The President called for a collaborative approach involving religious groups, civil society, and community leaders to identify at-risk areas and vulnerable youth. He stressed the role of social factors in shaping criminal behavior, noting that children growing up in environments influenced by trauma, absent role models, and gang leaders are more likely to adopt violent and criminal patterns.

“If crime is normalised, that is going to be a learned behaviour. If violence is normalised, that is going to be a learned behaviour,” Dr. Ali said, emphasizing that prevention must take precedence over punishment.

The President urged targeted reorientation programs and early interventions to support young people, warning that building safe communities requires addressing the root causes of gang involvement, trauma, and social marginalization. “If we can bring the religious community and civil society as part of this movement… identify the broken homes in a community… we will be able to address this challenge at the root cause,” he said.

Dr. Ali also proposed the development of data-driven behavioural models within prison services and vulnerable communities to better understand social dynamics, including patterns among youth and preferences that may indicate gang affiliation.

The President’s comments follow recent concerns among parents in Guyana regarding school safety. Last week, a meeting at West Ruimveldt Secondary School revealed prohibited items—including knives, toy guns, and lighters—being brought onto campus, raising alarms about bullying and gang activity.

Education Minister Sonia Parag has declared a zero-tolerance stance on gangs and violence in schools, following an incident at Zeeburg Secondary School in which a student was beaten by a group of boys while on his way home.

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“There is no way under my tenure that I am going to tolerate any group of persons calling themselves a gang; any group of persons infiltrating a school to create what is called a gang or a clique or a group. I will work with every single authority to dismantle it. Because you cannot develop unless you are in a safe environment,” Minister Parag said.

The combined statements from the President and the Education Minister highlight an urgent effort by the Guyanese government to tackle gang activity in schools, emphasizing prevention, community involvement, and strict enforcement measures to ensure student safety.