Dear Editor
THERE was a recent letter in the Stabroek News about teachers and the extent to which they have fallen from the expectations of the noble profession. The writer pointed out that they are now more in the mode of traders and commercial agents than purveyors of learning and moulders of character.I hope this is reflective of only a minority of the teachers in Guyana.

It must be pointed out that the working day of a teacher extends far beyond the normal day-to-day teaching hours/schedule of the ordinary worker. It is not so easy for those who are not (or who have not been) teachers to appreciate this. Long hours are often spent in lesson preparation, marking test papers, checking homework, doing research etc.

I taught for nearly ten years at Zeeburg Secondary School, and the amount of record-keeping that we did during a typical term would exceed the workload of a typical civil servant for an entire year [and this is no exaggeration].

Teachers are very often poorly paid; and even in the United States, they have to supplement their income by doing summer classes and engaging in working tasks that are outside of teaching. Also, teachers do not get yearly “raises” and bonuses, like employees in the corporate business world. There is nothing wrong when a lawyer charges a fee for his work, or when a priest or pandit charges for his services; but why is there noise and disdain when a teacher charges for his instruction?

Teachers must be recognized for the great work they do in the classroom and outside of the classroom. It takes a lot of mental stamina and energy to stand in front of a classroom hour after hour and day after day. Again, those who work in the business world doing sedentary tasks cannot fully appreciate this.

I hold teachers in high esteem, and I have cherished the memories of some of my favourite teachers. One of the best teachers that I have known, and with whom I had the privilege to work, was the late Rupert Gobin, one of the first teachers at Zeeburg Secondary. As a teacher and a human being, Rupert was truly outstanding.

I have fond memories of Ravi Dev as one of the teachers who stirred my interest in the sciences, and Swami Aksharananda [then Odaipaul Sing] who drilled me in Grammar and Arithmetic. I was a very dull and slow student, and it was in his class that I made a sudden and quick ‘turn’.

It is also with great joy that I recognize Dr. Jaipaul Singh as one of my favourite teachers. He has achieved global recognition in medicine and science. Jainarine Naipaul, Principal at the former Maha Sabha Leonora Secondary School, was one of the most respectable teachers in those days. He instilled in us a high sense of discipline and fostered a lifelong interest in reading and literature.

With so much that I owe to my teachers, I have to commend the present generation of teachers. Their students will, in time, cherish the same memories and tell the same stories.
Sincerely,
CECIL RAMKIRATH