Dear Editor,
The only thing worse than being blind is to have an eyesight without a vision. Professionally speaking, this philosophical trend is negatively mirrored by some of the officers that functioned under the Ministry of Education’s umbrella.
Remember that the Honourable Minister of Finance, Mr Winston Jordon, in his last budget speech, made earlier this year, referred to the results of CSEC Mathematics and English Language, and particularly the Grade Six Assessment results, as “depressing”. He even emphasized this phenomenon statistically by mentioning that Math was 14% and English Language was 50%.
What were the variables that led to this kind of behaviour? Have the officials done a feasibility study to determine the quality of teaching delivered, the lack of text books, the condition of the schools, parental lack in education, absentee teachers, the extra lesson syndrome, disciplinary structure, or any other related observations and factors?
Well, if such a research were carried out in Region Two, a correlation would certainly be found via poor education administration –precisely, the Department of Education, Region Two and NCERD Literacy Officer. For in the most subjective or personified manners, they determined, or rather chose blindly, whom they wanted to run the Literacy Programme. Very reflective and appropriate is the saying “Not everything that lives in water is fish”.
Does the Honourable Minister of Education know what is happening?
To begin with, how can they take off all the professional and experienced nursery teachers on the Literacy team? Then to negatively complicate this situation, any average Guyanese would entertain an ethnic prejudice view — one of the Literacy trainers, being the only East Indian who possessed a degree in Education, having passed with honours at the noble University of Guyana, and has been a qualified head teacher for years, was taken off the Literacy Primary team. No explanation was tendered. Isn’t this rude and impertinent?
One trained, seasoned Literacy Trainer on the team challenged the decision, to no avail; and felt convicted for her colleague on the decision taken and resigned with immediate effect.
I, as an Afro-Guyanese and a strong believer in racial harmony, strongly condemn this approach. We are Guyanese and should be seen as “One People”.
Almost all teachers were frustrated last August term, 2017, because the so-called Literacy team was supposed to give on time every school and each teacher a copy of the Comprehension passages for the various grades. Such competency is celebrated by NCERD and the Department of Education. Schools received them just in the nick of time.
If there stems a sense of favouritism by a particular officer at NCERD level and a fear of job security at Department of Education, the Minister of Education should be impartial; intervene, and let the nation know that she still honours her obligation to us in regard to the ‘good life’ promise. It is our prescriptive and democratic right, as Guyanese, to know how our money is spent, and what investment is made in our children’s education.
We as teachers felt, and are still feeling, robbed. I openly challenge the Ministry of Education to do a valid research to determine the needs of schools and the criteria (qualifications, experience, input, output etc.) used to choose the head of the Literacy Team as well as some Literacy trainers on the team in Region Two. When it comes to our tax payers’ money, we work hard to earn a decent living, and it is never going to be fair for others to get fat on it!
I quite agree with the quote by Aristotle, “The World is not evil, but those who stand around and allow evil to take precedence.”
Yours respectfully,
Simone Huggins
