Latest update May 25th, 2026 12:35 AM
Do we want a recurrence of the past?
Dear Editor,
Since the PPP/Civic gained power in 1992, teachers were liberated from the shackles, bondage and perpetual fear. Prior to 1992 teachers and students were compelled to attend all rallies and National Events. This situation augmented whenever the then presidents and ministers visited a region.
Teachers and students were cooped in mechanically ailing Government trucks and had to endure long waiting hours until the truck drivers imbibed themselves in alcohol and then ready to return. We had to march in broiling sun and sometimes heavy downpours. Teachers who failed to attend had to submit written excuses and head teachers who failed to muster the mandated number of students had to answer questions. In Region Two, teachers were dismissed and some transferred for noncompliance.
Thanks to the PPP. Never a day we were asked to attend or take students to make up crowds.
In 1983 the then Regional Chairman forcefully introduced a few chapters of Mass Games. Secondary schools were affected for the whole term. You had to take students to practice and you had to find your own meals and transportation. The situation was made worst whenever the PNC held its Regional Congress. Teachers and students had to attend the opening session, participate in their exhibition and must attend their fun day (Fund Day) on the Monday. Furniture from school had to be given for their Congress. Academic teaching was virtually nil during the Congress.
In addition to these one subject we had to teach was Ideological Education. This was primarily based on the PNC politics. The Mirror Newspaper was seen as a subversive literature and could not be seen by teachers in school.
The pittance teachers received for salaries saw an exodus and a refusal of young people to join the teaching profession. In order to entice teachers CPCE had to reduce its entry criteria to ground level. That was the origin of having square pegs in round holes and a steep decline in our education system. Today many of those under-qualified hold administrative positions and cannot effectively manage our schools.
The free text book policy further maimed our education system. There were never adequate books for each student so they had to share. This was the nursery plot for the decline in our students’ inability to read. Now with the PPP/C schools are inundated with resource materials. In many schools we have more books than students. In the PNC rule, schools were not given grants and teachers had to be involved in ongoing fund raising activities to repair buildings, purchase and repair furniture and books and find money to send teachers to attend workshops. Parents refused to attend PTA meetings because their sole purpose was to donate money to run the schools and participate in fund raising.
In many schools teachers had no chairs to sit on and buildings were death traps. Overflowing pit-latrines were the order of the day and students had to make donations to pay cleaners. Teachers even had to use local made clay chalk.
Many times students collapsed and threw up water instead of food particles. Flour was banned and many students had water and rice for breakfast. First aid kits were never available. Hunger as we know it is an impediment to learning.
With the PPP/C the Guyanese students are not saying any longer “the cow jumped over the moon” but now our teachers and students are landing on the moon like Neil Armstrong.
Do we want to go back to those dismal, threatening and retrograded days? Surely not!
P. Seepersaud
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