THE Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) will soon probe allegations by several Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) teachers that they were required to pay for their laptops under the new One-Laptop-Per-Teacher (OLPT) project. One section of the media reported recently that several teachers entering CPCE, as well as teachers from within the institution, are claiming that they have been asked to pay $40,000 for the laptops that government is expected to distribute to teachers countrywide.
President of the GTU, Mark Lyte said that the Union will soon investigate the matter, given that some teachers are uncertain about the specifics of the new OLPT programme. He said too that the union is unclear as to whether the project links with the G-Tech programme that was introduced by the previous administration in 2010.
Chief Education Officer Olato Sam is reported to have said that teachers have confused the G-Tech programme and the new OLPT programme which must have led to the recent allegations. He however denied the allegations and pointed out that the education ministry will deal with the uncertainty over the two programmes.
“What we now need to do is to reconcile the arrangements that were made before with this new arrangement so that all of our teachers have the resources necessary to assist in the teaching/learning process,” Sam said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education is in the process of compiling data to submit to the Ministry of the Presidency so as to facilitate the laptop distribution process, which according to Technical Advisor to the Education Minister, Vincent Alexander will commence soon.
Weeks ago, at a press briefing, Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman said the rationale behind government’s move to channel these laptops to teachers was to properly equip them with the instruments to deliver the curriculum in a more “electronic” manner, given Guyana’s current underdeveloped technological position.
The government has therefore taken this into consideration and decided to push for technological advancement in schools, starting with making laptops available to teachers, so they can provide firsthand information to students, rather than relying solely on textbooks.
The laptops will be distributed to teachers, beginning with those at the CPCE as they are being trained to become professional teachers. (Shivanie Sugrim)