By Nicole Telford- Executives of the Guyana Teachers Union are in urgent talks with representatives from its forty-two branches nationwide, addressing pressing concerns which have left teachers incensed by the Ministry of Education’s actions.
These issues came to light during the recent meeting in the County of Demerara, Region #3. Distressed teachers there highlighted an evident disparity: while the government generously handed out forty-thousand-dollar cash grants to parents to aid with student uniform costs for the upcoming September term, teachers were noticeably left out. Their uniform allowance is reported to be a mere eight thousand dollars.
Region three educators are additionally irate over the Ministry of Education’s perceived slothfulness in releasing the government school grants. They lament the insufficient lead time left before schools resume. With just three weeks left, teachers are scrambling to buy classroom supplies and cleaning materials, a timeframe they argue is barely adequate to ensure safe, child-friendly classrooms. The teachers foresee yet another term where they’ll have to lean on parents for contributions of cleaning supplies.
Coretta McDonald, the union’s General Secretary, shed light on this during the 67th sitting of the National Assembly. “Questions were raised to the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand,” McDonald noted. Manickchand’s response pointed to administrative protocols, explaining that only after funds get approval and schools are earmarked, can cheques be dispensed, which might be as late as midway through the term. The union countered, emphasizing that the Ministry first requests quotations for school needs. Only then are the cheques made out, allowing schools to procure their requisite classroom and office supplies.
