TEACHERS across Guyana who would have completed their degrees in Social Work, Sociology, Communication Studies, Public Management or other Social Science courses, are calling on the Ministry of Education to honour their word of granting payment for those degrees as is the case for those who would have read for their Degree in Education.

Reaching out to this publication, teachers employed at both primary and secondary schools said that they were told by officials within the Ministry of Education to submit their documents so as to commence the payment process, but it has been a year since that had been done and nothing else was told to them.

Sherene Anthony, a teacher at a city primary school, expressed her disappointment over the stalled process since, as for all workers, incentives are needed as a form of motivation.
Anthony read for a degree in Social Work and graduated in 2013. She said that over 100 of her colleagues would have taken in documents as was required, but to date, they have received no payment for their degrees.

Teachers, she said, would have engaged several government officials and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) representatives, but the situation still remains the same.
“I believe that no one wants to take responsibility for the amount of monies owed to us teachers,” Anthony said, adding: “This will also affect any upward mobility for us, because, though we attended University, we won’t get any promotion or anything.”

One of the previous arguments was that those degrees are not relevant to the school’s curriculum, but teachers beg to differ. Anthony said that her degree was not done in vain. “My degree has helped me to be a better social studies teacher, and to deal with children who are experiencing several problems.”

Another colleague who preferred to stay anonymous said that she believes it is a discriminatory act, as persons in high positions have the same degrees.
Another teacher who’s been teaching English for 10 years now, said that she believes that her degree in Communication Studies has helped her tremendously in the classroom.
“I have been a teacher for 10 years, and since I have started UG, the knowledge imparted in me has made me a better teacher,” she said. “My knowledge vault has been widened, and I am better able to propose the curriculum to my students,” she posited. “I have even received noticeable increases in pass rates at the CSEC.”

The previous administration had stopped payments to these teachers in 2009, but promises were made by this administration to recommence payment. Letters were also written to President Granger on the issue. The teachers are hoping that the issue is resolved earliest.