EDUCATION Minister Shaik Baksh yesterday reiterated Government’s position with regard to recruiting overseas teachers, that the issue will be discussed with the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) and the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU). He told the media at a press conference at his Brickdam office that since Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, announced the initiative, President Bharrat Jagdeo had very explicitly made a pronouncement that consultation will be held with the two bodies.
The minister was responding to articles circulating in the media to the effect that a senior Ministry of Education Official relayed that a preliminary document prepared by the ministry will be put before the Cabinet next week, which he disputed as a total fabrication.
The ministry formulates, documents and reviews policies, in all its dimensions, not the TSC; however the Ministry intends to discuss with the TSC, GTU, and other stakeholders the processes and procedures of the recruitment initiative which will be done in due course, he added.
As it relates to the recruitment of teachers, Minister Baksh stated that “we must ask the question, is there a need in Guyana? This must be established, that there is a need for Mathematics and Science teachers to improve the results we have been getting and to ensure that all students have access to these important subject areas.”
He further asked, “The question arises, are we to wait another decade before we show significant improvements in Math and the Sciences, and bypass our Caribbean sister countries, or should we bring in a core group of people to accelerate our students’ performances over a three-year period, thereby strengthening the system?” 
He added that a decision must be taken regarding incentives for existing teachers and qualified specialists, which must be discussed with the teachers’ union; however they have been reluctant in years past to offer special incentives in key and critical subject areas.   
Regarding the remuneration package for the teachers who will be brought from overseas, the current system must also be considered, he said. 
Minister Baksh indicated that at present there are 11 percent graduate teachers for mathematics; 42 percent represents the number of trained Math teachers coming out of the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), which leaves 47 percent being under-qualified.
A major constraint is the quality of teachers in the hinterland where there is a paucity of trained teachers; as a result persons from the coast are sent into the regions to give support.  
The ministry has also made available the non-graduate training programme for teachers of Math, English and the Sciences which are executed by the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD). While the numbers are small, the ministry is making the programmes mandatory so as to aid improvement in teachers’ capacity.
Minister Baksh highlighted that from mid-year, another batch of teachers will commence the programmes, while there are about 80 Math and 100 Science teachers currently in the programme.
He also noted that there is a lack of heads of department in 33 schools for Math and Science subjects, which poses a challenge for effective delivery of the subjects.
Apart from teacher training, texts books and DVDs are provided to schools, while there are special workshops for teachers addressing the development of content and methodology, the existence of four teams of specialists, and the establishment of the Education Television Broadcasting Service (ETBS) which is expected to benefit many students. (GINA)