By Indrawattie Natram

MORE teachers on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two, on Tuesday joined the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) nationwide strike for increased salaries.

Many teachers opted to stay at home, while children who showed up at Huist Dieren, Riverstown and Aurora primary schools returned home in disappointment.

Reports are that the head teacher at Huist Dieren Primary School lodged the school keys at the Department of Education, while teachers at Aurora, Abram Zuil, Cotton Field, Anna Regina Multilateral and Charity secondary schools opted to stay at home.

Approximately 15 teachers from Aurora Secondary and the majority from Anna Regina Multilateral stayed away. Only administrative staff and cleaners reported for work at the majority of the secondary, primary and nursery schools in the region.

Teachers who stayed home said that they support the strike and will be joining the protest today at Cotton Field in front of the Department of Education.

The situation at Anna Regina Multilateral this morning was chaotic, as hundreds of students reported for classes but teachers appeared to be nowhere in sight.

The children were left unsupervised and shortly after, parents arrived at the school to take their children home. The guards however told them that they had received orders from the Department of Education to close the gates.

GTU representative Sareena Seemangal, said teachers at the majority of primary schools in the south chose to stay home. Several attempts made to contact Regional Education Officer Nicola Matthews proved futile.