Teachers’ strike negatively affecting students preparing for national exams – McCoy

The ongoing teachers’ strike being spearheaded by the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) is detrimental to the students currently preparing for this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination.

This is the position of Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, who contends that the “illegal strike” has the potential to prevent students sitting the exam from achieving their individual goals.
McCoy made these comments during a community meeting at LaGrange, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) on Sunday.
He said the actions being taken by GTU is a direct attack on the education system and the investments the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government has poured in to the sector for its advancement.
“That is the purpose of the strike that they could stymie the work of the government and they could prevent our children who are at this time supposed to be having their SBAs marked to be submitted to the CXC, they strike they don’t care about them,” McCoy told those gathered.
In response to GTU’s commitment to prolong the strike until teachers’ demands are met, the Public Affairs Minister issued a call to the union to allow teachers to choose whether or not they want to independently participate in the strike.
According to the McCoy, he continues to receive reports indicating that “many teachers are being forced to onto the picket line out of fear”.
“Some of them are only on the strike line because of fear. Our country must never be at the level where people can’t make the choice that they believe that they should be making because to strike and not to strike is a right,” the Public Affairs Minister explained.
The nationwide teachers strike commenced on February 5. Teachers believe that the 6.5% salary increase is insufficient.
It is unclear how many teachers are supporting and participating in the strike and how many schools and students are being affected.
The Union’s President Mark Lyte has said that 82 percent of learners are affecting as a result of the strike but this has not been corroborated by the Education Ministry.
In fact, the Ministry has not released any information or statistics on how the strike is impacting the school system.
Since 2020, the GTU has been pushing for an across-the-board increase in salaries for teachers as part of a multi-year agreement. The proposal covers the years 2020 to 2023.