A private primary school in Guyana has released surveillance footage to combat allegations about a teacher’s response to a fatal incident where a six-year-old student swallowed a thumbtack and died.
Family members initially claimed the teacher ignored the boy’s pleas for help, saying he was sent back to his seat twice – first when he called out for assistance and again when he returned with a water bottle, shaking. According to the family, the teacher only responded when the child began struggling to breathe and lost consciousness.
Medical examinations later revealed that the child – Mekhi Rodrigues, had swallowed a thumbtack, which apparently blocked his airway and caused internal damage. He was pronounced dead at West Demerara Hospital despite doctors’ efforts to save him.
However, the school’s surveillance footage shows the teacher immediately responding to the child’s initial complaint, leaving her desk to assist him, and subsequently seeking help from other teachers before rushing him to the hospital.
The Ministry of Education has been notified, and the incident remains under investigation.
