Latest update March 21st, 2025 7:03 AM
Feb 17, 2013 News
“Coming to Guyana is a labour of love—a love for country and love for people and it’s not about money… Coming to Guyana in these conditions where the pay is not great, it’s worth doing it in the national interest.”
By Leon Suseran
Intelligence should be used to make one’s society a better place. A man should not keep his intellect to himself as if it were some treasure only he should use.
This week, we feature a person who gave several years of his life to teaching at various world universities; a respected professor; an author of books and several articles/publications, and co-author of the bestseller The Principal as Curriculum Leader: Shaping What Is Taught and Tested (Third Edition), a book that has made it across numerous markets.
But with all this knowledge and even after reading for five degrees—yes, five—Dr. Jerry Mahatam Jailall has been using his life to serve and to help the ordinary Guyanese. He has been an advocate for the voiceless; for those whose rights and privileges are being questioned and trampled upon by various systems here in Guyana.
Jerry Mahatam Jailall was born at Whim Village, Corentyne. He attended Auchylne Primary School and Berbice High and taught for one year as a Pupil Teacher at the Rose Hall Church of Scotland School from 1974-1975; he was just 17 at the time.
Dr. Jailall recalled during his childhood days when he would travel to school on the big buses, which could have seated a little more than 50 persons. The journey from Whim to New Amsterdam (covering a distance of just over 17 miles) took nearly two hours, he stated, because the bus had to stop very often to pick up and discharge passengers. And so, young Jerry used to pick up his school books and study on the bus during the trip.
“I did a lot of studying for my tests…the time was well spent by me, although the journey was tedious”.
He was also enlisted in the National Service from 1975-1976 at Kimbia, up the Berbice River.
“It involved living in barracks with many other students and persons from all across Guyana.” He remembers being in the same barracks with now Assistant Commissioner of Police, George Vyphius and “others who became very important people in the country…like (Former commissioner of Police) Mr. Laurie Lewis, etc”.
“Many of us resented having to go because it was a compulsory thing at that time…and we were pretty much forced to go, but we did go because we really wanted to improve ourselves at the University level and it was a risk and sacrifice I was willing to make…doing a lot of agricultural work, labouring in the field, planting cotton, picking pineapples…the experience was very useful, although it was forced”.
He later enrolled to attend the University of Guyana (UG) from 1976-1980 and obtained a Bachelor of Social Science Degree in Sociology. He also obtained a Certificate in Industrial Relations: The Law and the Worker. In 1983, he graduated with a Post- graduate Diploma in Education. He then taught Social Studies at Cummings Lodge Secondary from 1980-1986.
He also lectured in Sociology at UG during that same period.
During his UG studies he met his wife, Julie.
In 1986, Jerry migrated to the Bahamas and taught Economics and Bahamian, West Indian and World History at the Grand Bahama Catholic High School. In 1989, he moved to the United States where he read for other Degrees. He also taught at various levels of schooling in the U.S – elementary, middle and high, and was employed as a School Counselor.
In 1990, he completed a Special programme in Journalism, College of Journalism, University of South Carolina in Columbia South Carolina, USA. Then in 1993, he graduated with a Master of Arts in Education (MAEd) in Counselor Education from a North Carolina University, while in 1994, he attained Certification in Administration / Curriculum Specialist also in North Carolina In 1995, he obtained the Superintendent’s Certification in lieu of Ed.S. (Education Specialist) degree. Then in May 1998, he graduated with his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Education Leadership from East Carolina University.
Finally, he became Policy Fellow, Education Policy Fellowship Program sponsored by the Institute for Education Leadership/EPFP, Raleigh, NC.
Dr. Jailall was also employed by the NC State Department of Public Instruction in North Carolina from 1996-2007. He worked with the school system there “so I was able to see a lot of diversity of all kinds of schools, with all kinds of ideas—latest ideas in education in American schools—I had programmes in 115 school systems”.
In another school project, he had 172 schools, and “so my job was to do school reform using the latest ideas and it required me to travel in-state and out-of-state to represent the State Department at the Federal level with the US Department of Education, meeting and networking with the many directors of education in the US”.
His next calling was to the Middle East where he worked at the Abu Dhabi University teaching five courses including one at Master’s Level. He was afforded the privilege to visit other Middle Eastern countries such as Oman, Qatar, and he also visited India, and Italy, after which he returned to the United States. He also taught at the Mt. Olive University of which he is Adjunct Professor to this day.
During these years, himself and wife were sending barrels of books back home to the University of Guyana “where many students could benefit from it”.
He and his wife, Dr. Julie Jailall, also a holder of five degrees, finally “decided to return to Guyana to serve and to help here in Guyana.”
Professor Daizal Samad of the University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC) was one person who encouraged Dr. Jailall to return. President Donald Ramotar also met Dr. Jailall and his wife at an Embassy event overseas and the couple was motivated to return home.
LABOUR OF LOVE
“Coming to Guyana is a labour of love—a love for country and love for people and it’s not about money…coming here we can only make about 15 per cent of our U.S. salary, but it’s the kind of sacrifice we need to make as part of giving back to Guyana, because our first two degrees we got, we got them because of the taxpayers’ monies, and so, as much as we had served earlier – we had done a stint of work when we first graduated – we feel it’s a noble thing to do, to keep giving to our country, because the government needs help to modernize the education system and to teach our people 21st century skills. Coming to Guyana in these conditions where the pay is not great, it’s worth doing it in the national interest”.
He enjoys helping people navigate government services, being a medical coach, and his wife also loves to work with the women, in the area of empowerment.
“We are going to give our time and resources, but the goal is community empowerment and involvement and with my wife, if we stay long enough, we’d like to develop a model community in Whim…help people to organize themselves and their community so that things can be in a good state of maintenance.”
Dr. Jailall believes it is time more Guyanese return home to move the country forward.
“It’s probably the richest country in the Caricom group and yet we are not enjoying all the blessings or benefits. My wife and I do think that Guyana’s best years are ahead and we [Guyana] will still become a shining star, but we all need to work together.”
Dr. Jailall was also asked to serve on the Management Committee of the Whim Community Centre Ground. He and his wife have adopted the Whim Nursery School and they both plan to do a lot of fund-raising to access play equipment and to make the school more children-friendly.
The Department of Education in Region 6 has not let good talent go to waste. Dr. Jailall was asked by them to train over 120 school head teachers at the Auchlyne Primary School in Report Writing. He was also asked to conduct training for over 80 new administrative appointees.
“This is the work I do as part of our community outreach and it is voluntary work and I take delight in doing it”.
ADVOCATE
Justifying why he became involved in advocacy work, he stated that he knows how government and government systems work, “knowledge which ordinary people in the community do not have and so, they have problems. They go into the government offices, are sent home and they do not know what to do and their problems remain unresolved”.
He noted that in conversations with people, myriad problems would be mentioned.
“I have a heart and attitude that is set to help, and I ask them more about their problems. Maybe they were not helped well by officers in the various government ministries… For example they were not advised properly—problems [of] getting a passport, [a] birth certificate, a Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) tax compliance document, transferring a vehicle—who to go to, or talk to, or even how to phrase your problem”.
He usually helps these persons by directing them to the relevant authorities or even makes calls on their behalf.
“These are skills that ordinary people do not have and I feel as part of my community service, this is what I need to do”. He signs passport forms and hopes to become a Commissioner of Oaths and Justice of the Peace “to have a broader option in signing various documents and forms, not for profit. And I am also hoping to get my Marriage Officer’s licence to perform weddings for people in the community—and it will be my community service.”
Dr. Jailall believes the smarter people are, the more they have a social responsibility to give back to their community.
“I am a person committed to excellence—I always wanted to be the best I can be and so, the more I know, the more I grow, and the better I can be of use to my country. That was the philosophy of studying so much…to have a lot of skills, talents and abilities, so when I came back home, I could be of help in as many areas as I possibly can.”
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