EVER since the incident of those delinquent students who were flogged by their teacher the actions of a senior education official in Region 6 in New Amsterdam comes into question. I was reliably informed that this official is the one who blew the matter out of proportion and later got the minister involved who in turn caused the teacher to suffer a curtailment of two years promotion. This official is in the news again, this time orchestrating the non-payment of salaries of some student teachers.

This is illegal because the official is not the one who employed them. If per chance those teachers did the wrong thing in not informing the ministry of their intentions to attend university then, this is a simple matter that should have been settled in a professional manner by calling in the teachers and have them prepare the necessary paper work. But to withhold their salaries speaks volumes of a heartless and out of place individual who has overstepped the bounds. In other jurisdictions this official would have been dismissed but in Guyana these days some officials are over extending themselves and nothing is done about it.

This is a solid case for the teachers union or, as an alternative, I urge the affected teachers to take the matter to court, I think it would become a landmark judgement and would sober up this power drunk official.