THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION VS THE UNIVERSITY OF GUYANA

Nov 07, 2010 APNU Column, Features / Columnists

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The People’s National Congress Reform is astonished at the unjustified attack on the University of Guyana by Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh, earlier this month. The People’s Progressive Party Civic has been in office for over 18 years and must bear full responsibility for the present state of the country’s main tertiary educational institution.
Shaik Baksh voiced his disappointment over the quality of education provided and the way in which the University of Guyana is being managed.  The Minister, himself a former UG employee and lecturer, should know that the low academic standards and squalid physical conditions at the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen campus are entirely the results of governmental political domination and financial strangulation.
The People’s National Congress Reform has noted that every single Vice-Chancellor over the past 18 years has had reason to criticise the stingy financial support for UG by the PPP/C.
In his day, Vice-Chancellor Professor Dennis Craig complained that the state subvention for the University was always inadequate, covering only essentials such as salaries and what was left was inadequate for maintenance, with the consequent results.
Professor Harold Lutchman criticised the state of the library and the materials with which students have to work.
Even Dr James Rose, a PPP/C appointee, lamented the “fragile” financial situation of UG, which the Ministry of Finance aggravated by slashing the skimpy state subventions. Rose complained that, as a result of  financial strangulation by the Government, UG found difficulty “in attracting and retaining better-qualified staff; expanding the physical plant especially in providing more lecture room space; retooling our laboratories; modernizing our library and engaging in a vigorous staff development programme.”
Former UG Chancellor, Dr Bertrand Ramcharan, complained that “Deans and Professors came to us with simple requests: there was not enough seating in the class-rooms; there was no lectern on which to put lecture notes; there were few pieces of working equipment in the science laboratory; there were few computers in the computer room; and the library needed much more books.
“These were not difficult issues to resolve and they may well have been resolved in the meantime.”
The haste with which the last two chancellors – Professor Calestous Juma and Dr Bertrand Ramcharan – abandoned their appointments in mid-tenure and the unjust removals – of Vice-Chancellors Professors Denis Craig and Harold Lutchman and Pro-Chancellor Dr Joshua Ramsammy – also explain why our national university is in the state it is in today.
The PPP/C Administration’s simple tertiary education strategy has been to control the University through the appointment of President Bharrat Jagdeo’s information officer as the Pro-Chancellor and to dominate the Council through its party placemen. In this way, the PPPC keeps UG on life support rather than allowing it to grow into an independent and efficient academic institution.
CONGRATULATIONS TO GDF
The People’s National Congress Reform extends its warmest congratulations to the officers, soldiers, reservists and veterans of the Guyana Defence Force on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the founding of the Force on 1st November 1965.
The GDF was established less than a year after the People’s National Congress-United Force coalition entered office, even before the achievement of Independence.
Internally, at that time, the population was fearful, in the aftermath of the most destructive communal violence ever witnessed in this country, caused by the unlawful strike in the sugar industry, by the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union. Externally, at the same time, Venezuela and Suriname launched false claims on Guyana and threatened military action to seize its territory.
The Party recalls that, from the very start, the young Guyana Defence Force was obliged to confront challenges both inside the country and on its borders.
The first Minister of Defence of Guyana, Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, was totally committed to national defence and public security. He devised defence policies which have endured for four and a half decades.
The founder and leader of the PNC, Mr Forbes Sampson Burnham, explained that, from the outset, it was the intention of his Administration that, in addition to its defence duties, the Defence Force should be involved in economic and community projects, such as agricultural production and road construction.
He, therefore, designated the Defence Force “a people’s army that is part of the people.”
The GDF has always been loyal to the government of the day and has stood on the side of the people even though political administrations have changed.
The People’s National Congress Reform joins with patriotic Guyanese in congratulating the men and women who work day and night to keep our country safe.
The GDF has served the nation well and we have every confidence that they will continue to do so.
FRIGHTENING INCREASE IN TRAFFIC LAWLESSNESS
It should, by now be evident, even to the Minister of Home Affairs, that there is urgent need to strengthen the Traffic Department of the Guyana Police Force and to institute a compulsory on-going programme of Traffic Education for all Guyanese, particularly the drivers of mini-buses, hire cars, trucks and other commercial vehicles, motorbikes and pedestrians.
Even members of the Guyana Police Force can be seen violating the traffic laws with reckless abandon.
The requirements for the issuing of Drivers’ licenses need to be tightened with compulsory retesting for licence renewals, at, say, intervals of five years, for drivers of minibuses, hire cars, trucks and other commercial vehicles.
When are the long malfunctioning traffic lights in Georgetown going to be fixed?
Apart from the mass fatalities from the accident in Corentyne, Berbice, two other persons died from road accidents last weekend: one male in a speeding vehicle that slammed into a utility pole on the East Bank of Demerara and another who lost control of his CBR.
The PNCR is alarmed at the unacceptable picture discernable from the Traffic statistics. In the period, up to 23rd September 2010, there were 77 accidents with 80 deaths; five were children. During the same period last year 71 accidents were recorded resulting in 82 deaths; 12 were children.
The PNCR has noted the Kaieteur News article, dated Monday 15th March 2010, under the caption: “Road accidents cause most disabilities in Guyana”.  According to that article, “Road accidents feature among the top 10 leading causes of death and account for the most disabilities in Guyana.
This was revealed in the recently unveiled Ministry of Health National Rehabilitation Services Strategy 2009 – 2013.” That article revealed that more than 600 people died as a result of accidents, during the period 2006 to September 2009, with about 300 persons, injured in such accidents, who are now disabled.
There has been a continuing number of letters to the Editors of the national news papers, including the Sunday 3rd October, 2010 letter from the Guyana Road Safety Council appealing to road users to exercise care and caution on the roads and to adhere to the traffic laws.
The Guyana Road Safety Council called on drivers to stop disregarding the law, and to cease driving under the influence of alcohol. The PNCR is fully supportive of the appeal by the Road Safety Council.
The Tuesday 2nd November, 2010 Kaieteur Editorial titled “Are we really serious about curbing reckless road usage?” highlights the fact that, as usual in Guyana after any tragedy, Government hustles to fix the unfixable.
“Last Friday’s horrific smash-up in Berbice, which claimed 12 lives, including a two-month-old, was another tragedy which our tiny country (population-wise) could have done without. The subsequent reaction by the authorities – detaining a number of minibuses along the various corridors for several hours in the days following such carnage – is essentially a routine without sound reason in the scheme of things.”
The Editorial reminds the authorities of the proposals, in their Editorial of 2 November 2005, under the caption: “National Task Force for Traffic Needed”.
When will the Administration stop engaging in useless diversionary antics and demonstrate to the citizens of Guyana that they accept their responsibility to ensure that our roads are made safe once more?
Effective programmes must be implemented immediately to save Guyanese lives!

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