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THE recent shocking revelation of a male under-aged student located in the living quarters of his class teacher, clad only in his underwear together with the latter, underlines the embarrassingly sad reality that this time-honoured profession is peopled by sexual deviants, whose interest are focused primarily on satisfying their carnal lusts on their young charges, rather than preparing their minds for their future life’s vocation.
Not for the first time, this most recent case involving a male teacher is indeed a surprise, given the large numbers of such professionals whose services were terminated, and arraigned before the courts. Among the numbers, would have been a former Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) president, for a similar incident allegedly committed external of the school environment.
One may refer to another such case that had taken place on the West Coast of Berbice, almost two years ago, where an educator was alleged to have had carnal knowledge of one of his female students. This case assumed high-profiled proportions, when a party of policemen led by a now retired police commander, descended on the West Coast Berbice school where they arrested the alleged perpetrator. This prompt action by Law Enforcement authorities elicited comments from the current GTU Head that were less than forthcoming, given the pivotal seat of union leadership he holds.
As far as this union president was concerned, such a measure as arresting the teacher at the school was undesirable, as it would have caused trauma to the general school population in attendance.
Certainly, it was, and still is, the GTU president’s duty to defend the rights of his union members. One is sure that it was this promise that won him the leadership. However, there are some things that he needed to have appreciated relative to such an incident, since as far as is known – there has not been a response from the GTU on this recent incident that suggests inappropriate conduct and intent, on the part of the teacher, allegedly involved.
This union leader should be reminded that it is the right of Law Enforcement to act promptly, in pursuing and apprehending any such suspect wherever he/she may be. In fact, rather than levelling the claim of traumatisation of the students, he ought to have commended the police for their promptness in securing the arrest of the suspect.
Given the increasing frequency of this deviant behaviour, what has he done to impress upon his male union members, especially, that their role as educators is to mould the nation’s children in the classroom along scholastic lines and not in any other undesirable form, or elsewhere; and that any such conduct is a departure from agreed custom and practice, hence a betrayal of trust, as is definitely the case in all of these shameful incidents. What has he done since the commencement of his stewardship in correcting this most immoral of behaviour prevalent among his male membership?
For the Education Minister, Ms Priya Manickchand and her ministry, this report would have been a huge setback, against the background of the many initiatives that she would have spearheaded, to curb this threat to the nation’s young, inclusive of the nation’s thousands of students. One may recall the monumental ‘Stamp It Out’ campaign she pioneered, that gave birth to the ‘Sexual Offences Legislation’, one of the most comprehensive pieces of legislation that has been promulgated to date, in this nation. To this latest report, Minister Manickchand has voiced her thorough displeasure, and made it clear that her ministry will support condign measures to be taken against the educator.
Finally, the GTU president did allege traumatisation to the students of that West Berbice School. But, does he know of the immense mental anguish that the student victims do experience; or of the desultory light that is continuously cast upon the other morally upright educators and the profession, because of the lecherous conduct of their other colleagues; of the lowering of moral standards in general; and of the ministry’s numerous strategies having to be constantly revised to meet the threat of the daily sexual onslaught that is committed on the nation’s children?
Not for the first time, this most recent case involving a male teacher is indeed a surprise, given the large numbers of such professionals whose services were terminated, and arraigned before the courts. Among the numbers, would have been a former Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) president, for a similar incident allegedly committed external of the school environment.
One may refer to another such case that had taken place on the West Coast of Berbice, almost two years ago, where an educator was alleged to have had carnal knowledge of one of his female students. This case assumed high-profiled proportions, when a party of policemen led by a now retired police commander, descended on the West Coast Berbice school where they arrested the alleged perpetrator. This prompt action by Law Enforcement authorities elicited comments from the current GTU Head that were less than forthcoming, given the pivotal seat of union leadership he holds.
As far as this union president was concerned, such a measure as arresting the teacher at the school was undesirable, as it would have caused trauma to the general school population in attendance.
Certainly, it was, and still is, the GTU president’s duty to defend the rights of his union members. One is sure that it was this promise that won him the leadership. However, there are some things that he needed to have appreciated relative to such an incident, since as far as is known – there has not been a response from the GTU on this recent incident that suggests inappropriate conduct and intent, on the part of the teacher, allegedly involved.
This union leader should be reminded that it is the right of Law Enforcement to act promptly, in pursuing and apprehending any such suspect wherever he/she may be. In fact, rather than levelling the claim of traumatisation of the students, he ought to have commended the police for their promptness in securing the arrest of the suspect.
Given the increasing frequency of this deviant behaviour, what has he done to impress upon his male union members, especially, that their role as educators is to mould the nation’s children in the classroom along scholastic lines and not in any other undesirable form, or elsewhere; and that any such conduct is a departure from agreed custom and practice, hence a betrayal of trust, as is definitely the case in all of these shameful incidents. What has he done since the commencement of his stewardship in correcting this most immoral of behaviour prevalent among his male membership?
For the Education Minister, Ms Priya Manickchand and her ministry, this report would have been a huge setback, against the background of the many initiatives that she would have spearheaded, to curb this threat to the nation’s young, inclusive of the nation’s thousands of students. One may recall the monumental ‘Stamp It Out’ campaign she pioneered, that gave birth to the ‘Sexual Offences Legislation’, one of the most comprehensive pieces of legislation that has been promulgated to date, in this nation. To this latest report, Minister Manickchand has voiced her thorough displeasure, and made it clear that her ministry will support condign measures to be taken against the educator.
Finally, the GTU president did allege traumatisation to the students of that West Berbice School. But, does he know of the immense mental anguish that the student victims do experience; or of the desultory light that is continuously cast upon the other morally upright educators and the profession, because of the lecherous conduct of their other colleagues; of the lowering of moral standards in general; and of the ministry’s numerous strategies having to be constantly revised to meet the threat of the daily sexual onslaught that is committed on the nation’s children?
