Georgetown: It was a verbal sparring match Wednesday when the teachers of South Georgetown met with the Chief Education Officer, Mr. Olato Sam. The event was the Guyana Teachers' Union (GTU) South Georgetown Branch’s second meeting for the year that was venued at the North Ruimveldt Multilateral School auditorium.
According to the programme the Guest Speaker should have been three-month old Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, but perhaps the task was indeed best suited for a seasoned education official who kept swinging with all the right answers as burning questions and observations kept flying his way from evidently riled-up teachers.
The exchange ranged from concerns about the so-called "No child left behind" programme, the fact that teachers are being blamed for students failing under their watch and even the lack of support from parents and the pressures of extra lessons too soon on pupils.
The near four-hour long session also saw GTU President, Ms. Coretta McDonald, striking an upper-cut characterised by her view that teachers should be given preference in the primary placement process even as she speculated that top-ranking officials of society are given the privilege to have their children placed at the better performing schools. "Nurses don’t have to stand in line in the hospital when their children are sick but teachers have no such privilege they have to tow the line," she lamented. She also struck a double blow, swiping at both teachers and the Ministry, pointing out that teachers must recognise that rights and responsibility must go hand in hand while at the same time alluding to the need for the Ministry to recognise regular good performances and not only infractions on the part of teachers.
The concerns highlighted also included the delivery of quality education by quality teachers to students who are differently able but was certainly not limited to the recent spate of violence in the school system, the need for heightened security, mandatory leave for teachers, teachers’ signing of contracts after completing tertiary education and even the appropriate purchase of textbooks.
However, none of the steaming blows left the CEO at a loss for words as he quickly asserted himself and early on indicated that he was the man for the job. Though many of the answers were not what some teachers were looking for, the CEO was firm and precise with his every utterance and left no question unanswered, even as he sought to clarify a number of misconceptions as well.
In recognizing the noble task bestowed on the nation’s teachers, Sam in opening remarks said that “for too long we have not been able to face each other as adults. I welcome any opportunity to interact directly with our teachers. If there is any failing of the Ministry of Education is the lack of consistent structured opportunities like these.”
According to the CEO, teachers are in fact the life-blood of the system “and we at Central Ministry are your humble servants but the reality is that for too long we have been so far removed from each other that we hardly know each other.” In fact, he categorically pointed out that it is near impossible for him, as the CEO, to perform optimally without being acquainted with the needs and concerns of the teachers. “I am truly aware that there is some degree of skepticism and mistrust that comprises the relationship that we currently have with some of our teachers.” It was for this reason that the CEO said that he welcomed the opportunity to engage the teachers, even though to those outside looking-in the auditorium was a semi-hostile environment.
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