–union should not be used to do the biddings of the Coalition, Manickchand urges teachers

EDUCATION Minister, Priya Manickchand has called on teachers throughout Guyana to ensure that their legitimate concerns are effectively represented by the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) in a manner that is apolitical and in their best interest.
“If the Union is going to be made into another political entity, an arm of the APNU+AFC, then they can’t represent anyone, and teachers and their members should insist that they not be taken down that political path,” minister Manickchand told a news conference on Tuesday.
She was at the time responding to the concerns raised at a protest hosted earlier in the day by some members of the GTU, including its General-Secretary, Coretta McDonald, who is also a Member of Parliament for the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) opposition.
Reflecting on the handful of issues highlighted at the protest, Minister Manickchand concluded that not a single issue that was raised warranted a protest. “There was no reason for the protest; these issues are on the table, and we are addressing them. So, today’s protest, for me, is nothing but a response to Coretta’s hurt feelings, and that can’t be the way we treat a professional union,” the minister insisted. Manickchand said that had a “sensible issue” been raised, the Ministry of Education would have been happy to address it.

In responding to each of the highlighted “issues”, Manickchand pointed to the fact that since assuming office in August 2020, she and her team at the Ministry of Education have been in constant engagement with the GTU to address matters relating to the well-being and development of teachers all across Guyana.
As it relates to claims of inadequate consultation, especially at the level of the Regional Education Officers (REDOs), the Education Minister said that she herself had spoken to each of the REDOs to determine that the accusations were untrue. As a matter of fact, she said that in some instances, the GTU was repeatedly invited to the regional engagements, but failed to attend. This was the case for all of the regions, with the exception of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). Manickchand related that regrettably, the regional authorities there have admitted to failing to formally invite the GTU representatives to the meetings. Notwithstanding this, it was noted that representatives of the body, including its President, Mark Lyte, are usually in attendance as regional educators. The Region Six REDO has since committed to ensuring that formal invitations are sent to the GTU going forward.

NO-SHOW

Manickchand related even beyond the regional level, the GTU has been a no-show. “We also know that two weeks ago, the union was invited to be part of the teachers’ appraisal, and they refused to come. We sent a list of all circulars to the GTU to ask them what they thought of it, and we haven’t gotten an answer,” the minister highlighted. She said, pointedly, that the GTU’s concerns relating to inadequate consultations are unfounded, since the ministry and its officers have been doing their part to reach out to the GTU.
More specifically, Manickchand said that while the former APNU+AFC Government had only engaged the union four times during its five years in office, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration had moved to ensure that an almost statutory forum was created. Manickchand said that she met with the union at least six times within the last few months.
“And on every occasion, we have had what I thought, and what the union said, were productive meetings,” Manickchand posited. She noted, however, that the last few times, the union had opted out of the meetings.

“I thought at the time, and I still hope that those were genuine postponements, and an issue wasn’t being created,” the minister noted, pointing to the fact that efforts were even made to change the dates of the meeting to accommodate the schedule of the GTU representatives.
Based on the previous meetings, evidence of which were highlight
Manickchand also rubbished claims that the GTU was not consulted prior to the decision taken to host the National Grade Six Assessment. “It was the teachers that asked us to put the exams date at the fourth and fifth of August; we did what the teachers wanted, so that, again, is a non-issue,” Manickchand said.
She also responded to the placards which complained about teachers having not been paid. In explaining the situation, Manickchand said that the teachers have outstanding uniform allowances dating back to 2019 under the APNU+AFC Government. She indicated that the PPP/C administration has already issued a correspondence committing to paying the teachers for 2021 and 2021. “The GTU is aware of this,” the minister posited.
She also responded to McDonald’s concerns relating to the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant, and the issuance of $19,000 to the parents/guardians of each of the 172,000 children in the public school system. “We do not hold Ms. McDonald’s dictatorial view that we must decide, or we must have her decide how this money must be spent,” Manickchand asserted.

ACT POLITICAL, TREATED AS POLITICAL

She said that over the past few months, her ministry has “bent over backwards” to establish a cordial and professional relationship with the GTU; however, Manickchand warned that if the union is going to continue its political operations, then it will be addressed by the government in that manner. “The PPP/C as a party and as a government has never shied away from dealing politically with political organisation… we are happy to engage the union as a professional union, but if it becomes a political entity, and frankly this is how it is shaping up, then we will engage it as a political entity,” Manickchand cautioned.
Manickchand went further to accuse the APNU+AFC’s Coretta McDonald of using her position as an executive of the GTU, to push the agenda of the Opposition, as opposed to putting the needs and concerns of teachers first.