Redoubling efforts to improve teachers’ working conditions

Dear Editor,
I join organisations and ordinary people the world over to express my profound gratitude to educators who continue to germinate the minds and hearts of youths across the globe.
It is my firm belief that the theme “Valuing teachers, improving their status” which was chosen to celebrate World Teachers Day 2016 is not only appropriate but relevant within the context of our own regional and local realities.
It points to the need to redouble our efforts to improve the working conditions, welfare and salaries of our hard working teachers. Indeed, over the past 23 years we have achieved quite a lot in the above mentioned areas but the time is ripe for much more to be done and we can ill afford to miss opportunities in this respect.
If we truly care about our teachers, we must end the historic lip service and immediately reengage teachers in order to arrive at a consensus on key areas that will lead to the overall socioeconomic empowerment of our teachers.
As I pay tribute to our teachers here in Guyana, I am reminded of the thought provoking words of Author C S Lewis that “the task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.”
It was also author Joyce Meyers who admonished us to believe that “teachers can change lives with just the right mix of chalk and challenges.”
We love you teachers! The hands that rock the cradle do not necessarily rule the world but those that mould the minds of our children determine the type of world in which we live and the quality of its future inhabitants.

Sincerely,
Irfaan Mohammed Ali
PPP/C MP