Latest update April 5th, 2025 12:59 AM
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GTU’s Fifth biennial conference commences today
-focus on empowering members high on agenda
With focus on a number of issues of concern to teachers, the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) will today
GTU President,
Mark Lyte
commence its Fifth Biennial Congress. The event which will be convened at the Three Miles Secondary School, Bartica, will moreover embrace the theme “The Guyana Teachers Union – Empowering its members in capacity building while addressing the social challenges in Guyana.”
In addition to a guest presentation by Registrar of the University of Guyana, Dr. Nigel Gravesande, the conference is one that will include the presentation of reports concerning the affairs of the GTU among other issues. The participants at the five-day event will be exposed to a labour related presentation by Chief Labour Officer within the Ministry of Social Protection, Charles Ogle.
Other presentations will focus on the various aspects of the operation of the Ministry of Education including the School Boards’ Secretariat and the Teaching Service Commission (TSC). The Union, since last year, had raised concerns about the two bodies tasked with appointing teachers. It had even demanded a review of the preliminary lists of promotions made last year. This was due to the fact that the Union was led to believe that the appointment process was flawed thus, some teachers were not being justly appointed or promoted.
The Union had emphasised its request for a review by seeking an injunction from the High Court to halt the preparation of final lists of promotion. While the School Boards’ Secretariat had agreed to the review sought by the GTU, the TSC was not in agreement and has since decided to fight the matter out in court.
According to Chairperson of the TSC, Leila Ramson, a review of the list of the promotion is not a simple task, since thousands of applications would have to be reviewed. The TSC simply didn’t have the capacity to fulfil the Union’s request this year.
She had however informed that the TSC would have been prepared to take the Union’s concerns into consideration this year.
Failure to agree on the way forward has resulted in the matter remaining in court thereby not only stalling the TSC’s promotion of teachers for 2015 but also for 2016. The fallout between the TSC and the Union has also seen a number of protest actions, spearheaded by the GTU, outside of the Brickdam, Georgetown office of the TSC.
Representatives of the Union, including its President, Mr Mark Lyte, and General Secretary, Ms. Coretta McDonald, have been on the picket line calling for the removal of the Leila Ramson-led TSC.
The two GTU officials were among the executives of the GTU who were this past weekend re-elected to their respective capacities at the helm of the GTU. They along with the others making up the executive of the Union will be installed on the Friday, the final day of the conference.
Regarding the concerns with the TSC, Lyte said that several letters have been written to Government but thus far there has been non-intervention forthcoming. The Union had in fact threatened a nationwide strike action to stress the need for Government to replace the TSC members. However, the Union had called off a planned strike action earlier this year. But this tactic could very well be on the agenda again. Lyte related that there is a possibility that a strike could be planned for the new school term.
This issue is expected to be a hot topic at the Conference. However, a subject that is likely to be of particular interest will be that of mental health. This is in light of the fact Lyte noted, that the school system has not been spared the impact of mental health related issues such as depression which have at times resulted in suicide.
Both teachers and students could be victims of less than desirable mental conditions. And according to Lyte, many teachers also have to operate under immense stress which could in fact affect their output, a state of affairs that will be addressed at the conference with the view of sharing coping mechanisms that teachers can utilise to be more efficient.
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