AMNA ALLY TAKES ISSUE WITH MINISTER MANICKCHAND’S STATEMENT

Jun 02, 2012 News

Shadow Minister of Education and Opposition Chief Whip, Amna Ally, has taken issue with the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand’s statement, at her recently concluded consultative meeting on Automatic Promotion and Corporal Punishment in New Amsterdam.
Ms. Ally described the Minister’s statement as irresponsible, insensitive, uncaring, selfish and distasteful.
It was during the Minister’s Budget 2012 presentation that she ended her speech by saying, “I love you teachers.”
“What a strange way to demonstrate that love. According to the Kaieteur News headline, on 31st May 2012, Minister Manickchand said, “If you do not like the salary, quit.” How insensitive, irresponsible and uncaring. Not surprisingly, in today’s Kaieteur News, Friday 1st June 2012, it is claimed that the statement by the Minister was taken out of context.”
Ms Ally said that the problem with this Government is that Ministers and other members of the Administration seem to be incapable of acknowledging their mistakes or to take advice or set out to work with persons with the required skills and techniques to overcome challenging hurdles. It is evident that the members of the Administration have rejected the Consultative Mechanism, she added.
“Here it is that our head teachers, at a very important forum, to discuss very important issues for the future of the education of our nation’s children, naturally expect that the Minister would join them to examine the issues intelligently.
“Unfortunately and disappointedly, the Minister, instead, comes up with the bizarre statement, “If you do not like the salary, quit.”
The Minister must be capable of rising above making such hysterical and irrational statements, whether it was said at an open forum or within closed doors. But this behaviour is typical of that particular Minister.
Not so long ago, in the Tenth Parliament, during the 2012 Budget Debate, Shadow Minister of Education, Ms. Amna Ally said, “There is no one who is qualified in Technical Education to manage the Technical Programmes run by the Ministry.
Ms. Manickchand refuted this contention.
As an educator, Ms. Ally pointed out that a teacher must have the requisite skills, knowledge, patience, qualifications, resourcefulness and, above all, the love for the job to be a good teacher. Many of our teachers do possess those skills. Some of them are young and still need to achieve those requirements.
On the specific issue at hand, “Automatic Promotion”, the Minister must seek to have workable programmes and develop strategies to deal with this issue. Teachers are currently very poorly paid, she said.
However, there is the urgent need to identify teachers with the right combination of skills to deal with the problems of slow learners. Teachers with the needed experience and expertise must be adequately paid. Successful results with higher percentage benefits cannot be expected if little or nothing is paid for Remedial Programmes, Ally said.
We, therefore, call on the Minister to examine the areas of education expenditures, educational programmes, incentives for our teachers and priorities to improve the education system in Guyana.
“Now is not the time to ridicule our teachers, rather the Minister should be encouraging them and working with them to improve the present education system which is undoubtedly facing a serious crisis.”

Latest News

AMNA ALLY TAKES ISSUE WITH MINISTER MANICKCHAND’S STATEMENT

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 17th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

NSC, Office of the DPP to host Criminal Law and Sexual Offences Act...

Lucas Chung maintains strong standing at 2nd...

Farm Supplies Ltd. supports Bartica Regatta 2025

Legislation and Investment: Trinidad to Brazil,...

Three more matches billed for this weekend

CM Khan rules at 2025 National Blitz Chess...

Features/Columnists

“One Guyana” is no less a national slogan than “Green Guyana”

If Guyana’s President Ali is the “Zelensky of the Caribbean”, who is the Putin?

Partner v. investor

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

AMNA ALLY TAKES ISSUE WITH MINISTER MANICKCHAND’S STATEMENT

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 17th, 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 […]