Teachers’ Benefits and Responsibilities

Apr 08, 2011 Editorial

The news that the government and the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) are about to consummate a new multi-year agreement on teachers’ salaries, benefits and incentives is welcome. The last agreement, in force for the past five years, catered for annual 5% salary increases plus an additional 1% for those teachers who met specified performance metrics. The intent was to offer an incentive for teachers to boost their effectiveness.
The remainder of the package was not too insignificant: scholarships for 25 teachers at UG; a special revolving housing fund; increased pay for teachers with upgraded qualifications; an annual clothing allowance and for head teachers – recognised as the key cog in the educational wheel – 100 duty-free vehicle concessions annually. When one factors in the fact that teachers are routinely permitted to upgrade their qualifications and skills at UG and CPCE, during times when they are being paid to teach, the benefits loom even larger.
Additionally, all of the above must be viewed against a background in which the government has invested billions to upgrade not only the physical infrastructure in which the education product is being delivered, but also the educational opportunities for the teachers themselves. The latter can now merge their CPCE training (which has been upgraded to an Associate Degree) directly and segue into the full Bachelors degree program at UG, reducing the entire process to five years. Many schools have been outfitted with computer labs and the goal is to make this standard in all schools. Coupled with the introduction of Educational TV, the work of the teacher should become increasingly less tedious.
All of the foregoing is not meant to imply that more cannot be done for teachers. This newspaper has resolutely championed the notion that teachers form the backbone of countries such as ours that are attempting to pull themselves out of the stagnation of colonial underdevelopment into the brave new globalised world that offers great rewards to those that grasp the benefits of education.
The prize in this new world still goes to the swift; but in this incarnation, it goes to the educated swift. We sincerely hope that the new package will continue to increase salaries and benefits.
But at the same time, we would urge both the government and the union to spend a corresponding amount of time as was utilized to deal with salaries and benefits to pin down with greater precision, the responsibilities of teachers. Teachers consistently argue that in relation to the former, the grass is greener across the waters in the Caribbean and in the US – to which a great band of trained teachers have migrated after their training in Guyana.
The numbers suggest that we suffer (and there is no other word to describe the effect of the phenomenon) more than any other country of our economic standing in this area. But the foreign grass has recently become quite brown: in both the US and the Caribbean, teachers are being laid off as these countries grapple not only with their economic decline, but with the correlation of teachers’ pay and the delivery of their product.
Teachers rightfully demand equal pay to peers in other professions with similar qualifications – especially in private enterprise. But as we approach this ideal, the government will have to demand equal performance. Teachers cannot be allowed to be absent from their classes to the extent that is now prevalent – especially to pursue additional qualifications that they leverage to migrate.
Teachers cannot utilise their position to extort (and there is no other word for this also) money from their students in “lessons” that cover work that was supposed to be done in the classroom. If the curriculum is too extensive or difficult to be completed in the regular school hours, then the GTU should bring this to the attention of the Ministry of Education.
The newly introduced practice of conducting remedial classes for 2-3 weeks during the “August holidays” for lagging students should be made mandatory for all schools and teachers. Equal work in equal time for equal pay, must be the new mantra.

Latest News

Teachers’ Benefits and Responsibilities

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | February, 3rd, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Corbin century, fast-bowlers give CCC lead as champs face stern Day 3...

Powerlifting to kick off year with...

North Essequibo cart off ECB Busta-sponsored T20...

Construction progress of five New Stadiums,...

Inclement weather forces BCB to halt cricket...

EBDCA/D&R Construction 40-Over Cricket...

Features/Columnists

What Guyanese leaders can learn from Donald Trump

OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus

VP Jagdeo on PPP comrades benefitting

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Teachers’ Benefits and Responsibilities

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | February, 3rd, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]