…as teachers continue protest for 40% pay hike

EXCITED and anxious students residing in the mining town of Linden were mostly met with locked school doors when they turned up for school on Monday, amid a countrywide strike called by the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU).

While there were a handful of schools with teachers who turned up on duty, most of the schools were locked. The Department of Education (DoE) however, executed the contingency plan by dispatching several Cyril Potter College of Education teachers to various primary schools, to support the short quota of teachers who decided to report for duty. These included the Regma Primary School and the Mackenzie Primary School. Parents also decided to render assistance at the Mackenzie Primary School by staying with their children throughout the day, in classes where there were no teachers.

The parents, whose children were in Grade One, were seen tutoring them and keeping them in order. A parent who spoke on behalf of the others, said that they saw it fit to stay and assist in whatever way possible. “We saw that a lot of children came to school and not so many teachers, so we decide that they best thing to do rather than to keep them unsupervised, is to remain with them and help in whatever way possible.

Teachers who did turn up for duty were visited by Chief Education Officer (CEO) Marcel Hutson, who commended them for putting the nation’s children first. Hutson visited a number of schools including the Linden Foundation Secondary School (LFSS), Mackenzie High School (MHS), the Wisburg Secondary School and the Christianburg Wismar Secondary School (CWSS). He also met with the Regional Educational Officer (REDO), Ms. Marcia Paddy Andrews, to discuss further planning of the regional contingency plan.

At the LFSS, Hutson met with approximately 20 teachers and told them that he understands how they feel, going through what they are going through, as he reflects on the struggles he faced when he was a teacher. He reassured them that that the Ministry of Education and by extension, the Government of Guyana, is committed to making the lives of teachers better and that he personally desires that better be put on the table for teachers. “The Ministry of the Education is committed to resolving this issue, this morning while listening to the radio, I almost shed a tear, when a parent called in and the parent said the children didn’t trouble anybody, it is sad that a child woke up this morning to go to school and there is no school to go to. I wish if we could, in the interest of our children do what we have to do, it is my desire that better will be done for you,” he said.

Hutson said that that the contingency plan will be put into effect at all cost by his ministry, so as to ensure that the nation’s children are taught. He affirmed that on the first day of school, there may be some hiccups as it relates to the ratio of back-up teachers to students, which resulted in some schools being closed and children having to return home but this will be sorted out earliest.

PROTEST
Meanwhile, at the protest, Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira tried to quell the heated crowd of teachers who were loudly chanting their disagreement with the government, Minister of Education Nicolette Henry and Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection Keith Scott. He assured them that the government does care about them.

Braving the chants, he said that as a teacher himself for 18 years, he empathises with them and understands the struggle. He reassured them that the government will make things better for them in the earliest time. “I believe that the government will make every effort to give the teachers an increase that they will be comfortable with as soon as possible, the fact the President himself who demonstrated in my generation, a President who is seriously committed towards education, he has come out himself to say that he himself will take the lead in the teachers getting the increase that they can be comfortable with. He described teachers as the true nation builders, caring and selfless individuals who have contributed significantly to the development of the country.

President David Granger at last Friday’s press conference said that the Coalition administration, through the Ministry of Finance, is actively looking for new sources to offset funding to meet the payment of wages and salaries for teachers. The president disclosed that the Ministry of Social Protection is presently in discussions with the Ministry of Finance to determine the way forward.

Municipal Councillor Lennox Gasper said that he is in solidarity with the teachers since he believes that as a caring government, more ought to be done to ensure that those that who mold the nation are treated properly. “I know that we are a caring government and hence we need to do more for our people, we did campaign and promise that we will do more for public servants and what did we do, as I see it, we did more for ourselves and those in parliament, than we did for the teachers,” Gasper noted. With four schools in his constituencies, Gasper said that teachers should be treated and remunerated better so that they will give better service and not have to be pressured into making money on the side.