Mark Lyte did much for teachers’ interests, being free to support any party
Dear Editor,
I noticed there have been some comments on Dr Mark Lyte, former head of the Guyana Teachers Union, appearing on the candidates list of the PPP. There is the accusation this is a betrayal of teachers, from a union that tried to expel him after he signed the agreement to end the strike.
To be clear, under Lyte’s presidency, the GTU strike was probably the longest teachers’ strike against the government. Over the years, teachers have gained and enjoyed benefits that not even American teachers get. The agreement to 10 per cent and 8 per cent came after the strike had gone on for too long and students’ education was at serious risk. A strike cannot go on forever; there has to be compromise. So, if Ms McDonald is questioning why Dr Lyte agreed to the terms that ended the strike and implies that it was because Lyte was a secret PPP, would it be fair to also deduce that Ms McDonald wanted the strike to continue because she was a PNC member of parliament? We probably cannot say that. I am against a union leader concurrently being an MP for a party. You cannot serve two masters. So GTU and GAWU have that problem, and members should decide if they want that system to continue. We need a new unionism in the education sector that can work along with the Government of the day, not pollute everything with rancour and ill will. Education requires cooperation, not ongoing conflict and impasse. A new, progressive unionism is needed. If GTU continues its approach of confrontation, not collaboration, then maybe a new union will be needed.
I have worked with Dr Lyte on a committee, and he always brings good insights and energy in contributing to products and outputs of that committee. He is a reasonable person to deal with because of his strong moral and spiritual underpinnings. His demeanour is not that of a bully, as some politicos tend to be. It seems as if Dr Lyte has considered all options and decided that he can contribute to the vision of the PPP as regards education. Dr Lyte is quite experienced and can contribute much to education administration in Guyana. It is his right to choose which party he will support, and I am sure he will serve well if he is available to continue to contribute to education reform. There are many teacher factors contributing to educational outcomes and changes in how we operate, and union support is critical for us to advance in achieving even higher educational outcomes.
The education system is on the brink of 21st-century reform, and we need all available, incompetent people to lead those reforms.
