Teachers are now confused at the position of Government on their strike action, since, according to them, President David Granger’s position on the issue is different from the Education Ministry’s action.
According to teachers, the call by President David Granger for full mediation and possibly arbitration is completely different from what his Education Ministry is attempting to do in relation to their salary and other benefits’ negotiations.
On Friday, the President hosted his third press conference since taking office in 2015, and called Guyana Teachers Union’s strike action “extreme…premature” and urged that there be full mediation and possibly arbitration before such extreme measure is taken.
However, when contacted, GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald told the Guyana Times that they have listened keenly to the President’s comments and they are still ready to go to the bargaining table, provided that their conditions are assented to.
Additionally, she explained that the actions of the Education Ministry are quite contradictory, since the Union is yet to be contacted since meeting with the Education Ministry on Thursday. McDonald said the GTU are still going ahead with the strike action, and noted that they are ready to provide relief to teachers if Government decides to cut salaries.
This publication spoke to a number of teachers on Saturday, and they related that they are being forced to strike due to non-consideration by the Education Ministry.
Education Minister Nicolette Henry
“The Ministry is not doing anything. They are trying to strong-arm the teachers into accepting what is on the table, and that is it. We have been waiting on debauching money for so long, and now they want to give you a small sum. Then we have the President saying something else. The Government needs to get their act together and get on the same page,” a teacher who gave her name only as Ms Persaud said.
Persaud has been in the teaching profession for over 20 years, and she said it is time that the teachers take a collective stance because their rights would be trampled upon. She said that all the teachers at her school, on the West Bank of Demerara, would be supporting the strike.
Another teacher noted that teachers need to understand that they have to band together in order to have their demands met.
Meanwhile, there is a growing level of anxiety cause by the uncertainty of the quality of education to be delivered when school reopens tomorrow (Monday). Parents are questioning the Education Ministry’s contingency plan, since that plan seemingly does not have all in place to cushion the effect of the teachers’ absence.
“We now seeing that the Ministry sending out notice for trainee teachers and retired ones, when they saying that they have it under control. How can we rest when it seems like the Ministry don’t know what they are doing?” questioned Johnathan Persaud.
The man said his son is now a third form student at Patentia Secondary School, WBD, and he is concerned about the quality of teaching his son will receive, since he has to prepare for the National Grade Nine Assessment.
Contingency Plan
Education Minister Nicolette Henry and her officers have been saying that a contingency plan is in place. The plan would see trainee teachers, substitute teachers, parents and retired teachers taking over classrooms. However, it is unclear whether the Teaching Service Commission is on board with this plan. Additionally, former CPCE lecturer Tamashwar Boodhoo has said that trainee teachers cannot take school registers since registers are legal documents and could be used in a court of law.
Like many parents, even President Granger said he does not find favour with trainee teachers taking over the classrooms, come September 3.
The Education Ministry has issued a notice to Education officials, detailing the responsibilities of the CPCE teachers on attachment, parents and substitute teachers it intends to deploy to cushion the effects of the strike.
The notice said they are to follow the regular lesson plan, scheme of work and other curricular documents; record tasks/assignments; record daily attendance in the Attendance registers; keep an up-to-date record of the content completed; and maintain a relationship with parents, among other requirements.
However, teachers and the GTU are questioning where the substitutes would access lesson plans and schemes of work, since those are usually completed during the pre-term activity period, and the strike commenced during that period.
Teachers are seeking increases of 40 per cent under a multi-year arrangement up to 2020. However, Government has maintained that it just cannot afford this proposal, offering a 2018-2019 pay off.
Additionally, Granger said they are currently looking to source additional funds to meet the teachers’ demands, but explained that Government is not going to commit to a multi-year agreement.
