…urge better security in schools

THE recent stories of violence inflicted upon teachers across Guyana have sparked a much-needed conversation, to address the security and well being of the educators of this country.

Coretta McDonald, the General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) stood once again in solidarity as she protested outside of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning to support another teacher who was brutally assaulted by a parent.
“We are here to stand in support for our teachers; we are going to give our teachers the fullest support, as a matter of fact we will send the message to parents that no more, never again that a teacher should be assaulted by a parent… those parents who want to assault teachers they are unruly and indiscipline,” she stated.

Yolando Jackson, a teacher at the Winfer Garden Primary, was attacked last November by an angry parent who believed Jackson had used excessive force while disciplining her child.
Jackson had told the media that she was approached by the child’s parent who had seemed to come with the intention of brawling. She added that she tried to avoid an altercation but was assaulted.

“She approached me, she didn’t come to talk it out, she came to fight…I tried to walk away but she grabbed me from behind and she started the assault,” Jackson stated in a previous interview.

Jackson had sustained injuries about her body during the altercation and was rushed to a city hospital where she received stitches to her wounds.
Additionally, on January 15, 2020, Sherwin Dalrymple and his relatives had violently attacked a teacher of the St. Agnes Primary School. Dalrymple was seen in a viral video kicking the teacher repeatedly while his wife and another relative pinned the teacher to the floor in a scuffle.

Subsequently, the parents and teachers who were involved the incidents were charged and placed before the courts. However, the GTU believes that justice was not served since the assailants in the incidents got off with only a small bail.

“We don’t believe justice was served and it is based on the work that the police would have done in terms of the investigation and what they presented to the magistrate that is how she had to act. We are saying that it’s totally wrong not only for a parent to be assaulting a teacher but for a man to be kicking away at a woman… that is totally wrong,” she stated.
Additionally, Mc Donald pointed out that parents should not be allowed to enter a school compound unless there is an emergency which involves their child or children and, if there is an issue that needs clarification, parents should report to the Department of Education.
Mc Donald further stated that there should be security protocols implemented at schools across the country to prevent similar altercations.

Teachers play a vital role in the lives of children to ensure that they become successful in career and business. Teachers mold the leaders of tomorrow; they know that their pupils and students are the future of a nation, so the future development of any country is in the hands of teachers, hence teachers must be protected and guarded at all cost.
Kimual Harmon, a young secondary school teacher, noted that the recent events are beyond disgraceful and the Guyana Police Force and Ministry of Education needs to take immediate actions to safeguard the educators of Guyana.

He noted that due to the recent events some teachers may not be able to work in an efficient manner since they are not focused on teaching but worrying about their safety.
“It’s a sad situation that needs urgent tackling because teachers mold our future so how are we supposed to be efficient if we don’t feel safe in an environment,” he stated.
Ruth Josiah, another young teacher, weighed in on the recent events and urged the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of the country’s teachers.

“I think the teachers should not have been charged because to me it was considered as self-defense…the security system in schools should be more fierce, parents should not be allowed to just walk into school compounds…the authorities need to enforce stricter security protocols to prevent such events, she stated.

Each day, teachers go to work to do a job that’s is critically important and extraordinarily complex, hence violence inflicted upon teachers must be condemned, they should be cherished and highly appreciated, according to those persons who stood in solidarity with the teachers outside the Magistrates’ Court.