Lancelot Baptiste and Satti Jaiserriesing receiving their instruments from President Dr Irfaan Ali
Former Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) President Lancelot Baptiste and Satti Jaiserriesing are the two remaining members of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) who officially took their Oaths of Office on Friday before President Dr. Irfaan Ali during a simple ceremony at the Office of the President.
In brief remarks, President Ali said, “I would just urge the two new sworn members of the Commission to review my comments when we swore (in) the other members of the Commission. I wanna congratulate you and wish you well on this journey, as we seek to further strengthen our education system as we seek to ensure we build an institution…in which our teachers are treated fairly; in which the process of governance continues to improve and deliver in a manner in which all can find acceptable standards, and can find good governance.”
In December 2022, five of the seven members of the TSC were sworn in after months of not having an active Commission.
The five members: Maydha Persaud, Doodmattie Singh, Joan Monkhouse, Shafiran Bhajan, and Mohammed Saddam Hussain, had also taken their Oaths of Office before the President at his Office.
During that ceremony, President Ali had charged the newly sworn-in members of the Commission to take their responsibilities seriously.
“The functions entrusted to the Commission must therefore not be taken lightly. I encourage you to be faithful to that oath. Your actions will contribute to no small measure in ensuring that the teaching profession is populated by persons that are worthy of educating the present and future generations,” the Head of State had expressed.
Further, the Guyanese Leader had underscored the importance of teachers to Guyana’s education system.
“Teachers are the backbone of our education system. They’re responsible for moulding the minds of our children; equipping them with the knowledge, skills and the right attitude; readying them for higher education and for their varied roles in society,” he had said.
The President had also noted that the TSC would have a vital role to play in ensuring that the right persons are placed in the classrooms to teach the country’s future generations.
“Placing ill-qualified and ill-suited persons to educate our children can be disastrous to our children’s future and the human resource development of the country. It’s equally necessary that, within the teaching profession, appointments and promotions are dispensed in a fair and just manner,” the Guyanese Leader had contended.
The Commission will have a lifespan of three years, with its Chairperson and Deputy Chair being elected after the body is fully constituted. Further, the TSC Chairperson, Deputy Chair and one other member will be full-time members. The TSC is in charge of appointing, disciplining, and removing teachers when necessary.
The life of the previous TSC came to an end in 2021, after being appointed in 2018. The members of that Commission were Avril Crawford, Alan Munroe, Elizabeth Ramlall, Amjad Ali Shaw, Debra Thomas, and Barbara Thomas-Holder, with the Chief Education Officer as an ex-officio member.
