– says Min. Manickchand on school re-opening
— GTU suggests re-opening should be done in November

By Tamica Garnett
MINISTER of Education, Priya Manickchand, on Tuesday, clarified that the Ministry of Education (MoE) has not yet made a decision as it pertains to the opening of public schools, even as consultations are ongoing with stakeholders, the most recent being the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU).

GTU President Mark Lyte told Guyana Chronicle that the union does not believe that schools are prepared for a reopening just yet, but did suggest a possible November timeline.
Schools in Guyana have been closed since March, among measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, after the first case was recorded in the country on March 11. However, given the five months closure and with the academic year customarily scheduled to commence in September, rumours have been circulating of a possible reopening from September 7.
Setting the record straight, Minister Manickchand said there are several different layers that would need to be looked at to decide the way forward and nothing has been settled as yet.
“We have not made a decision as yet,” Manickchand affirmed during a video posted on social media, last Tuesday.

The minister made it clear that while the ministry is looking at a number of options, ultimately the official decision on the way forward would have to be guided by recommendations coming out of consultations, particularly with the Ministry of Health (MoH).

“Our decision is going to be based purely on science, statistics and biology; and the trajectory of the disease in Guyana and what we have learned from around the world with school reopening. My position has to be informed by the MoH’s knowledge: their medical knowledge, statistical knowledge, their experience in the various regions,” Manickchand underlined.

GETTING UP TO SPEED
Manickchand noted that she is still familiarising herself with the situation at the ministry, given her recent appointment. With the change of government, Manickchand was sworn in as minister on August 5 and has since had to conduct a number of familiarisation activities.
The minister was emphatic on the need for the ministry to engage the GTU even as they brainstormed proposals for the future of public schools in Guyana.
“We can’t and we will not be doing anything without collaborating with the GTU. It is important to hear from the GTU on their perspective on what our plans might be, what our possibility and proposals might be and share with them what we plan to do,” she said.

Manickchand and other officials from the MoE met with several representatives from the GTU last Tuesday.
According to a statement from the MoE, those present at the meeting also included GTU President, Mark Lyte; General Secretary Coretta McDonald; First Vice President, Lesmeine Collins as well as MoE Chief Planning Officer, Nicola Johnson; and Director of NCERD, Jennifer Cumberbatch.

“All major decisions will be consulted on and we’re facing a big one now which is how do we deal with delivering academic material, teaching to students in the COVID-19 pandemic. I don’t know how you could make a decision like that without engaging the union,” Manickchand said in her interview after the meeting.
The minister said that the union’s input is of critical nature given that it is the union that would be able to share a more accurate perspective of what is happening on the ground.
“Sometimes we hear things in the ministry in our offices that is not necessarily what is happening on the ground, so it’s always good to get other views. The GTU is a very important stakeholder in the delivery of education. They look after the interest of teachers across the country and teachers are the backbone of our system,” Manickchand said.

GOOD WORKING RELATIONS
The minister further noted that outside of working along with the union on the current COVID-19 situation, she looks forward to future cordial relationships with the union.
“I believe unions are a good thing,” she said
“Unions do what I do in my life, outside of politics, which is represent people who can’t represent themselves. I don’t think a union-ministry relationship needs to be combative. It needs to be a relationship where both sides enjoy a healthy respect for the other and you work together to make sure we get the best out of our teachers and make them into the best they can be. That’s kind of the relationship we will be committed to,” Manickchand avowed.

Lyte noted that the meeting was a very cordial one, and the union is looking forward to working with the ministry and hopes that its recommendations are given serious consideration as the ministry goes about crafting its plans.

“Today’s (Tuesday’s) meeting is where the union had a chance to ventilate how we feel about this whole plan of reopening and the discussions went well. We are looking forward to the ministry listening to our voice, and a decision to be made soon in relation to what is put forward. We have proposed the earliest time, providing everything is in place looking at a November opening,” he said.

Lyte noted that, though the union had been sent a previous re-opening plan that had been crafted by the ministry, prior to the government changeover, which suggested a rotation system of students at the varying school, the GTU was never consulted for its input.
“What we know is that the ministry, by itself, without the union’s input was looking at a plan. But when we talk about consultations that means before you create a draft of a plan you have to consult stakeholders. And we believe we form that critical core group that lends a valid voice at the grassroots level but we were not part of the discussions. We were just preview to a draft,” Lyte explained