“Rescue UG” committee urges speedy signing of $10M World Bank grant….

Feb 17, 2012 News

-minor works commence at campus

As the “sit in” action continued at the University of Guyana, “Rescue UG” committee members are now strongly calling for the urgent signing of a $10M grant from the World Bank. The grant is designated mainly towards the strengthening of the four Science and Technology faculties at UG through infrastructure research and curricular improvements while building the basis for improved facilities management and future growth.
Dr. Pasty Francis told this publication that the protest action yesterday has gained more momentum. She said that much more persons have come on board and are standing up for a worthy cause.
Yesterday, Lecturers were reminded that, although they are “sitting in” they should make their course outlines, handouts and other materials available at the bookshops on campus.
Meanwhile, this newspaper was told that Pro Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Prem Misir, has replied to the committee.
According to Misir, although he recognizes the infeasibility of immediate resolution to all the issues which were raised, they can be constructively addressed.
Misir in his letter sought to explain the issue of the World Bank grant.
He said that there is a misguided perception that the government is refusing to sign the grant.
According to the Pro Chancellor, the first disbursement of this grant is conditional to UG and the Ministry of Education establishing a steering committee to oversee the project as well as the University of Guyana preparing of the terms of reference for the project execution unit among other conditions.
Misir said that once these conditions, precedent to the disbursement, are satisfied, government will sign the grant.
Sources yesterday told this newspaper that government was given 90 days to get certain things in place but that did not happen. An additional 18 months was given. Kaieteur News was told that to date little has been put forward.
Kaieteur News managed to obtain part of the World Bank grant document, which stated that student learning is seriously compromised by poorly compensated and under qualified lecturers working with inadequate resources. It added that low salaries and the poor state of buildings along with the lack of supplies and support make it difficult to recruit and retain highly qualified lecturers.
Works have started on the George Walcott and Small Lecture Theatre. There are also repairs being done to buildings in Agriculture, Natural Science Annex, Biodiversity, and Health Science Education Lecture Theater. There is also the restoration of sewage and washrooms as well as the drainage and irrigation. Electrical works are also on the cards for the University.
Dr. Luncheon at his most recent weekly post-Cabinet media briefing at the Office of the President, in referring to the ongoing actions at the University, attributed this to indolence and indulgence on the part of the institution’s administration.
He noted that the members of the UG Council had refrained from speaking about the Freddie Kissoon issue, in adherence to the principle of confidentiality governing appointment committee meetings, since they believed that the UG administration would have acted.
This failure to act in the face of misinformation and lies, Luncheon stated, has led to the view that the UG administration is lacking in resolve to address the behaviour of the ‘extremists’, and in light of this, the Government believes that a more appropriate and forceful reaction by the University administration was and remains clearly needed and anticipated.
“The descent into recklessness by the very elements at the University of Guyana …it is astonishing,” he said. At a previous press briefing, Dr. Luncheon had stated that the lack of aggression by the UG administration in dealing with the issue has allowed the matter to be “hijacked by partisan interests” and blown into a veritable protest action.

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