REGIONAL Education Officer (REO) of Region 10, Marcia Paddy has rubbished the findings of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the state of education which alleged existence of “ghost teachers” in the system who are collecting money under false pretence in Upper Berbice River, Region 10.
Paddy expressed confidence that there are no ‘ghost teachers’. In a correspondence to the Deputy Chief Education Officer (A), Donna Chapman, the REO highlighted that the ‘ghost teachers’ labelled by the CoI are in fact teachers who are appointed to schools in the Berbice River and are on the pay roll but are attached to other schools in Region 10 for varying reasons.
Paddy detailed a list of 20 teachers, who are appointed to the schools in the Berbice River including Mt. Carmel Primary, De Veldt Primary, Sandhills Primary, Maria Henrietta Primary, Kimbia Primary, Calcuni Primary, St. Lust Primary, Gaetroy Primary and Weroni Primary. The status of these teachers range from Temporary Qualified Mistress/Master (TQM) to Assistant Mistress/Master (AM). These teachers, most of whom reside in Linden, are currently attached to nursery and primary schools in Linden such as the Coomacka Primary, Blue Berry Hill Nursery, St. Aidan’s Primary, Amelia’s Ward Primary and the Watooka Day Primary. Four of the teachers who were appointed to schools in the Berbice River are attached to other schools in the Berbice River. Of the 20 teachers, only three are paid by cash while the others receive their salaries through the bank.
In explaining why the teachers have not taken up their respective appointments in the Berbice River, Paddy said that teachers have to attend the Cyril Potter College of Education in Linden and there are issues with accommodation and security.
“The accommodation at De Veldt was vandalized. There was no electricity as a result of theft and teachers requested a transfer to St. Lust Primary,” the REO explained in her correspondence. Other reasons listed by Paddy include the distance to the schools, teachers with medical problems, domestic issues, pregnant teachers and a teacher who delivered a baby via caesarean section.

SCHOOLS UNDERSTAFFED
While these reasons where highlighted, the Regional Democratic Council of Region 10 had raised the issue of the schools in the Berbice River being severely understaffed; one teacher was forced to man the entire Kalkuni Primary School with a population of 80 students.
In other villages such as Wairuni and Ebini, the Councillors revealed that there were only two and three teachers. Paddy in her response had said that some teachers who were appointed to schools in the Berbice River cited various reasons why they cannot take up the post.
“As soon as they are called, they come with a document stating that they have a hole in their heart, asthmatic problems, back problems…you name it…and these documents are being signed by the Mackenzie Hospital Complex,” Paddy stressed.
Paddy made it very clear that those teachers who did not take up their appointments, had their salaries withheld since January 2017. On Wednesday, Paddy reported that since then, seven teachers took up their posts in the Berbice River and only one recalcitrant teacher’s salary was withheld. As a result of that, the understaffing in the river has decreased to some extent.
Meanwhile, Technical Advisor to the Education Minister, Vincent Alexander had said that the investigation into the ‘ghost teachers’ will commence when Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson returns to Guyana. Chairman of the CoI Ed Caesar pointed out a case of alleged financial impropriety in the Berbice River, where “ghost teachers” have turned up.
The inquiry also found that teachers were being transferred from non-existent schools to another, raising general concerns about administrative structures that can be taken advantage of in some outlying locations.