GUYANA is set to host the 36th Biennial Caribbean Union of Teachers’ Conference from August 4-9, 2013. This conference will be held under the theme “Improving the professional status of teachers in the Caribbean”, and participants will be drawn from 24 Caribbean territories.

This conference will be hosted by the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT), in collaboration with the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) and the Ministry of Education. Addressing members of the media yesterday at a press conference at GTU’s headquarters on Woolford Avenue, Georgetown, General Secretary of the GTU, Ms. Coretta McDonald, said it was a pleasure for Guyana to host this conference, and more so to showcase the capabilities of the Guyanese people.
She informed that some of the issues which would be discussed during this conference include violence in schools, marking of SBA projects, Grade Six examinations across the Caribbean, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), and expectations of the council, as well as salaries and better conditions for teachers.
She indicated that the conference commences with a church service at the Central Seventh-day Adventist church at Church and Oronoque Streets on August 4, where teachers and all members of the public are invited to attend.
A women’s conference will be held on Monday, August 5, at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) at Liliendaal, and President of the GTU, Mr. Colin Bynoe, said that in excess of 400 women are expected to participate.
He noted that although this is a teacher’s conference, women from across the spectrum of Guyana will be included, and the keynote address for the women’s conference is expected to be given by Human Services Minister, Jennifer Webster.
According to him, this women’s conference will be addressing many of the problems faced by women across the Caribbean.
The official opening ceremony for the CUT conference will be held on Monday, August 5, at the National Cultural Centre (NCC), and Mr. Bynoe informed that President Donald Ramotar is expected to deliver the feature address, while CUT President, Mr. Marvin Andall, will be delivering the keynote address.
Guyana Night, a family-oriented event, will be held at the Education Ministry’s sports club ground on Wednesday, August 7, and will see patrons being treated to Guyanese entertainment and food.
According to Ms. Mc Donald, business sessions for the CUT conference will be held at the Princess International Hotel from August 6-9, when teachers from across the Caribbean will be discussing difficulties which they might have encountered as teachers.
She further stated that at these sessions, they will also be paving the way in terms of promoting education, as well as improving the lives of teachers across the region.
Ms. Mc. Donald informed that, at that forum, they will be compiling a position paper which will be presented to the Ministers of Education from the various territories.
Further, she indicated that visits would be made to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat to meet with the Secretary General and his team, to further their agenda of the conference.
On Friday, 9th August, there will be the election of officers who will run the affairs of the CUT for the next two years; and Ms. Mc Donald said it is hoped that at least two Guyanese will be elected to be on that executive board.
The awards ceremony and dinner will be held on Friday evening, and long serving members of the GTU, those who were also officers of the CUT, as well as other officials from other territories who would have served at the CUT level from 2011-2013 will be honoured.
According to Mr. Bynoe, Education Minister, Priya Manickchand is expected to deliver the feature address on this occasion, and he also took opportunity to express how pleased he was by the support which the CUT has been receiving from Minister Manickchand.
He noted that the Education Ministry will be playing a crucial role in providing the necessary support for this conference, and Minister Manickchand has been with the organisation every step of the way, even making suggestions on how they can further the agenda of the conference.
Mr. Bynoe pointed out that this conference will, for the first time since 1992, be hosted in Guyana, and he maintained that this conference is not a political one, but is rather an education conference, and deliberations would remain strictly professional.
On the topic of sponsorship, he noted that the activities would cost a lot of money, and corporate Guyana has come on board, with sponsors such as Banks DIH, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), and Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL).
Besides the mentioned activities, Ms. Mc Donald informed, that there will also be one week of activities for camp followers — teachers from all across the Caribbean who would be here on vacation.