Education Minister Shaik Baksh has said he will not pronounce on the non-appointment of Mrs. Genevieve Whyte-Nedd, acting as the Chief Education Officer (CEO), and said the Public Service Commission (PSC) is responsible for addressing this issue.
“It is unfortunate that it (Whyte-Nedd’s appointment) has not been dealt with,” Baksh said at a press briefing yesterday.
He made it clear too that the Ministry of Education did not ask Whyte-Nedd to leave, on the contrary, she was required to leave as per statutory regulations.
The Education Minister noted that he has in the past made his position clear that the retirement age for teachers should be moved from 55 to 60-years.
“I still hold this view,” Baksh said, adding that he is in the process of engaging retired teachers with different specialties to serve in the sector.
According to him a total of 80 teachers have been brought back into the education system to advance the improvement of education and its delivery to the Guyanese people.
However, even with his Ministerial powers to enforce these measures, Baksh maintained that he has no say in the appointment of the CEO.
“Even as a Minister I cannot and no Ministry of Education official can be recommended by me. I have no say in that,” he said.
The Education Minister added that since the post of CEO is empty and another official in acting in that regard, steps will be taken to fill the post.
He noted that this is a process and after the Education Ministry makes a request to have the post filled, the PSC will be responsible for the process thereof.
“The PSC will deal with this,” Baksh said.
When asked why in the past a move was made to delay the appointment of Whyte-Nedd, the Education Minister said that, as he stated in the past, this was only to facilitate the restructuring and reform of the sector.
He added that afterwards it was up to the PSC to move ahead with the appointment.
Whyte-Nedd filed a motion in the High Court last month through her attorney, Nigel Hughes calling the decision not to fill the vacancy an unconstitutional one, and the order was subsequently granted. PSC commissioners, Ganga Persaud; Carvil Duncan; Cecil Seepersaud; Vera Naughton and Mr. Hope have since requested leave to file an affidavit in answer.
Appointment to the substantive position of Chief Education Officer falls under the purview of the PSC which is empowered under article 120 of the Constitution to make the appointment, but the life of the current commission came to an end on July 6, 2010.

Whyte-Nedd, a veteran educator has since proceeded on pre-retirement leave, but her court application was filed prior to the notice of her leave being served.
She alleges in court documents filed that the current PSC which was established in 2007, failed to fill the vacant post of CEO in the education sector, but that the commission considered and filled several other vacancies including that of Assistant Chief Education Officer (Primary).
Whyte-Nedd was acting in the position of education CEO since September 2005.