…as more teachers reportedly go on strike

The Ministry of Education’s contingency plan for the teachers’ strike has begun to take shape with a greater roll out of temporary tutors in the public education system on Tuesday.

A top official at the ministry said that Tuesday’s roll out shows greater coordination and most of the schools where teachers have been absenting themselves temporary teachers have been dispatched. “So I can say today (Tuesday) we have been greater improvements in the system.

However, simultaneously reports are that more teachers have joined the industrial action as several schools reported an increase in the number teachers being absent.

A number of schools on the West Bank and West Coast of Demerara conveyed that while they saw the full complement of teachers on Monday, on Tuesday the staff numbers were starting to thin. More than half the teachers were missing at some schools, while others barely had any.

“[Monday] we had full staff but today some are striking, 18 teachers out of 29 are on strike. It was a little confusing at first but when parents heard, they’ve been collecting their children,” reported Leonora Primary’s head teacher (HM) Ingrid Jacobus-Li.

Some of the schools reported receiving substitutes but only a few. At Patentia Primary on the West Bank several substitute teachers were being assigned classes, while a few parents were also on hand assisting with fixing up the classroom and supervising the few pupils as they waited for a teacher to be assigned to the class.

“Yes there’s a Ms. Prince, a substitute teacher, assigned to my child’s class. On [Monday] they fixed them [the students] in the class but they did not do anything,” the parent disclosed, requesting to remain anonymous. The parent was not in support of the teachers striking.

“They didn’t get it for 23 years so why they want it in three years. I think they are unfair with that amount that they want, when they want that what will happen to the nurses, and the other public servants? I think they deserve a little more, but not so much, something less and cater for the other public servants.”

Over at Uitvlugt, Leonora and Vreed-en-Hoop Secondary Schools approximately half of the teachers were missing on Tuesday, substitute teachers were still to be assigned to these schools. “It’s tough but we’re trying,” said Fay Gittens HM of Leonora Secondary, where 22 of the 44 teachers are out on strike. Three substitute teachers were sent to that school. “It’s taken effect on teachers who have to take on additional responsibilities. We’re a secondary school so we have subject teachers, but now the subject teacher has to work like a class teacher, taking an entire class and teaching everything.”

At Vreed-en-Hoop teachers continued their protest outside of the Region Three Department of Education Office. GTU second Vice president, Julian Cambridge, said the numbers out on Tuesday indeed reflected a corresponding increase from the numbers that were out on Monday.

He averaged that on Monday there were some 200 teachers in the protest, while the numbers, according to him, were closer to 300 on Tuesday. At the Cornelia Ida Primary School on the West Coast and West Demerara Secondary on the West Bank most of the teachers at these schools were still turning out for work. Both schools reported an almost full complement of teachers.

Teachers managing
Meanwhile, on the East Coast of Demerara (EDC), several schools there also experienced a lower turn out but most head teachers were managing fairly well with the situation.
At the Plaisance Primary school, out of 197 students who enrolled for the term there were 82 pupils present while, out of a staff of 14 teachers, there were seven present along with 2 volunteers. The Guyana Chronicle was informed that although it is not the ideal situation, the attending children were divided among the teachers as the administration believes that it is better not to deprive children of an education.

On the previous day, however, there were 105 students who attended classes. A similar drop in numbers was experienced at St. Paul’s Primary where there was less than 50 per cent of pupils and teachers present, a number lower than the previous day. Nonetheless, those who turned out made the best of the situation by working in the classrooms.

At the La Bonne Intention (LBI) Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools, the turnout was also lower but not significantly as the teachers relayed that they were managing well. At LBI Primary teachers reported that is business as usual with 100 per cent of teachers present and 62.8 per cent of students showing up. At the nursery school there were sufficient teachers as regular staff showed up for work although there was a drop in the number of children. Information coming from the nearby Secondary School stated that the turnout was good.

In Region Two reports are that more teachers joined the nationwide strike for an increase in salaries. Many teachers opted to stay at homes while children who showed up at Huist Dieren, Riverstown and Aurora primary schools had to return home in disappointment.
Reports are that the headteacher at Huist Dieren Primary School lodged the school keys at the Department of Education while teachers at Aurora, Abram Zuil, Cotton Field, Anna Regina Multilateral and Charity secondary schools opted to stay home.

Approximately 15 teachers from Aurora Secondary and the majority from Anna Regina Multilateral stayed home. Only administrative staff and cleaners reported for work at the majority of the secondary, primary and nursery schools in the region. Teachers who stayed home said that they support the strike and will be joining the protest today at Cotton Field in front of the Department of Education.

The situation at Anna Regina Multilateral this morning was chaotic as hundreds of students reported for classes but teachers appeared to be nowhere in sight. The children were left unsupervised and shortly after, parents arrived at the school to take their children home but the guards told them that they received orders from the Department of Education to close the gates.

GTU representative Sareena Seemangal said teachers at the majority of primary schools in the south choose to stay home. Several attempts made to contact Regional Education Officer Nicola Matthews proved futile.

In Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice), Education officials reported that some of the teachers who had worked on Monday joined the strike but did not quantify the resultant increase.
They said though that their contingency plan enabled them to keep all the schools in the Region open amidst a greater turnout of pupils than on Monday when the strike started. “More pupils and students in Region Five attended school on Tuesday and we were able to keep them in school, supervise them adequately and keep them gainfully occupied,” an official said. Unlike Monday there was no picketing by striking teachers in Region Five.