ERC, TSC commissioners sworn in
President David Granger flanked by the newly appointed members of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC).
President David Granger flanked by the newly appointed members of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC).

THE commissioners identified to serve on the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) and the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) were sworn in by President David Granger on Thursday.

After taking the Oath of Office, the commissioners were presented with their instruments of appointment at the State House ceremony. The ERC will soon be activated after approximately seven years, now that its commissioners have been sworn-in. Taking the Oath of Office on Thursday were Dr. John Smith, Sister Rajkumarie Singh, Roshan Khan, Norris Witter, Major-General (Retd) Norman McLean, Deodat Persaud, Ruth Howard, Barrington Braithwaite, Neaz Subhan and Ashton Simon.

The constitutional organ had become defunct in 2011. However, the National Assembly in January approved the names of the 10 persons to sit on the ERC after more than four years of consultations and reviews. In delivering brief remarks, President Granger said the Constitution provides for the establishment of the ERC and is guarded against influence and interference by the Executive. He stated that the work of the ERC is critical to ensuring ethnic harmony and social cohesion in Guyana.

President David Granger and the newly appointed members of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) (Photos by MOTP)

“The Ethnic Relations Commission is intended to support, inter alia, to promote good relations, harmony, peace, tolerance and understanding between our peoples,” he posited while adding that the Commission is also expected to ensure that equal opportunities between persons of different ethnic groups are provided and ethnic discrimination is proscribed.

The ERC is constitutionally required to provide 24 functions. “These functions entail a broad range of actions and interventions including education, investigation, monitoring, reviewing, recommending and research and study,” the President explained.
Turning his attention to the Teaching Service Commission, President Granger said, the TSC, like the ERC, is a constitutional organ. He noted that the TSC was established to ensure that teachers’ appointments are undertaken by an independent body, and are based on merit.

“The Teaching Service Commission is vested by the Constitution with the “power to appoint persons as teachers in the public service and to remove and exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in such offices,” the President explained.

According to him, the work of the commission will contribute to ensuring that a core of qualified, trained and highly motivated teachers are within the public education system.
The new members of the Teacher Service Commission are: Elizabeth Ramlall, Barbara Patricia Thomas-Holder, Deborah Thomas, Amjad Shaw, Allan Ewart Munroe, Avril Crawford and Marcel Hutson as an ex-officio member. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Minister of State Joseph Harmon; Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry; and Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton; among other government officials.

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