While a handful of teachers continue to picket the Education Ministry against the Government’s vaccination campaign, hundreds of teachers from across the country were in their classrooms, educating the nation’s children. This was confirmed by an official of the Education Ministry.
Children in their classroom at Kwebanna Primary
Thursday was the second day of the Guyana Teachers’ Union -organised protest, and it saw less taking to the streets than on the previous day. On Thursday, however, supporters of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) joined the protest, calling for the Government to discard its COVID-19 vaccination campaign and consult with the union.
Teachers and pupils of St Theresa’s Primary School in Region Six making their way into their school
One such supporter was former Member of Parliament (MP) Simona Broomes, who called on the Government to engage the Union on a way forward as it relates to its latest COVID-19 vaccination policy.
“If the teachers are hurting; if the teachers are unhappy, I am unhappy,” Broomes said, adding, “I stand in solidarity with the teachers.
If the teachers are not happy, the parents are not happy, the country is not happy. So, I stand in solidarity with teachers and all the workers in this country.”
On Thursday, several teachers were led into protest by several executives of the GTU, including APNU/AFC Parliamentarian Coretta McDonald, who is also General Secretary of the GTU. Holding signs and speaking out against the COVID-19 vaccines, the teachers staged a protest in front of the Education Ministry’s Brickdam, Georgetown Headquarters, calling on Government to rescind its vaccination policy.
In light of the rise in COVID-19 deaths and cases, the Government has mandated that any person wishing to enter a public building must be vaccinated. A public building refers to a building to which the public has lawful access, and includes both privately- and publicly-owned buildings, including learning institutions.
An unvaccinated person who wants to enter a public building must make an appointment, and present a negative PCR test taken within seven days of the day they want entry.
Only tests from a Health Ministry-approved laboratory are accepted. This is just one of the measures Government announced in the Official Gazette on September 4. These measures are slated to last until September 30.
After being closed for more than a year, some schools in Guyana reopened on Monday for face-to-face classes. The GTU said unvaccinated teachers were locked out of school buildings.
Some protesting teachers in front of the Education Ministry on Thursday
The Union, however, is also against the reopening of schools until safety protocols are agreed with the Union for the protection of teachers and students.
Pointing to the rise in COVID-19 deaths and positive cases, the GTU has said it believes it is unsafe to fully reopen schools for face-to-face learning.
Despite the protest action, the Education Ministry on Wednesday reported a high turnout of teachers and students. The Education Ministry has described the GTU’s call for protest action as “uncaring and unconscionable”, while condemning it as “irresponsible and not reflective of the realities of the present state of the COVID-19 pandemic nor the needs of the nation’s children”.
According to a missive from the Ministry, teachers have been accorded the status of a most valuable resource, and were paid their full salaries and benefits throughout the 17 months schools were closed. The Ministry said teachers received no salary cuts, neither were they laid off, like had obtained in many other countries.
The Education Ministry is adamant that there is no grievance/basis for strike action, and has urged all teachers, parents, and administrators not to fall prey to the “political machinations of Coretta McDonald and the small cabal of self-serving individuals who have hijacked the Guyana Teachers Union”.
“Vaccination of teachers is not mandatory, and there are clear guidelines issued for those who do not want to be inoculated – all of this to keep teachers, their families, and our children safe,” the Ministry has clarified.
The Public Service Ministry has also reminded that no teacher who does not report for duty will be paid.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has defended the updated vaccination requirements as necessary to ensure public safety.
