…at the teaching profession
Friday was “International Teachers Day”. Since 1994, the UN has saluted them by, first of all, declaring that “Day”, and secondly to offer an annual theme to remind the world, but especially governments, as to the importance of the profession. This year, the theme is: “The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher.” Last year it was “Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers”, which had followed “Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status”.
You get the idea? Teachers are crucial in our modern world. Used to be that knowledge was passed down to our young by elders in the tribe or clan. But with the ever-increasing body of disciplines and knowledge that keep the world developing, the need for specially trained individuals to perform that role is unquestioned. The family, of course, remains a very important institution for socialising and imparting knowledge to children. But with ever increasing instances of mothers and fathers now in the workforce, teachers are forced to pick up that slack.
But in Guyana today, you’d never suspect the importance of teachers from the way this Government has handled their demand for wages that would allow them to live with a modicum of decency. “Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status” is their call!! Before independence, teachers had status and respect in this country, and the level of our educational institutions and their graduates was the equal of any other country.
All of that fell apart from the time the PNC first got into power in 1964. Ironically, Burnham was sincerely committed to education, but that commitment was trumped by his insistence on absolute power. When the Teachers Union agitated for greater benefits and wages, Burnham manipulated the formation of a competing union – the “Association of Masters and Mistresses” — which undercut the GTU. Burnham evidently thought his “free education from nursery to university” should be delivered by teachers for free! With the collapse of the economy, that became the reality, but with both teachers and Teachers Union hitting rock bottom.
With the removal of the PNC in 1992, teachers’ salaries and working conditions improved slowly, constrained by the need to remove the debt burden with which Burnham had saddled the country.
Fast forward to the present, the now PNC leader, Granger, has followed his mentor. He’s refused to follow the recommendation of his own task force on teachers’ salaries!! He’s also refused to follow the law on voluntary arbitration — the arbitral chairman must be accepted by both sides.
The Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson, exemplified the duplicity of the PNC Administration when he oleaginously declared on Friday: “World Teachers Day represents a significant token of the awareness, understanding and appreciation displayed for the vital contribution our teachers made.”
Appreciation? Pleeeease!!
…to protect his Chair
Referring to the challenges during the run up to the LGE, James Patterson, Chairman of GECOM, uttered several outbursts that really question his suitability for the position into which he was parachuted by President David Granger. He claimed, “There seems to be quislings and fifth columnists in the (GECOM) camp,” – internal and external – to derail the LGE.
Now that’s the opinion of a person who definitely doesn’t believe in the democratic right of citizens to challenge what they consider to be violations in the electoral rules. How can a man who claimed to be a Chief Justice of Grenada call persons who challenged dead persons nominating Councillors “quislings and fifth columnists”??
He also moaned, “Our politicians have retreated into ethno-political camps”! Really? Where was he since 1961?
Or was he firing a shot across the bow of Chancellor (ag) Cummings – who’ll decide on his tenure this week?
…at fair elections
GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield insisted: “GECOM is sticking to the letter of the law at every step.” Sure. Excepting when his phone’s turned off for eight hours so he can’t take calls from Election Officers who’re refusing to take off nominators from AFC fake lists!
He was with “his lawyers”!! About those radio sets??
