THE VOICE OF THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS … ARE THE RIGHT SKILLS BEING CULTIVATED FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR?

Oct 12, 2016 News

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By:  Sase Singh

Introduction:
Every time I start researching for my columns, I always attempt to hunt for the opportunity to illustrate that the Granger administration has done something tangible for the people. But as the topic explains, I am disappointed yet again, this time, because of what is happening at UG and in our general system of education.
The policy disarray in the education sector has been a feature for years now, especially when people during the PPP reign, were offered positions in institutions that were way beyond their core competence.  But when we thought this tide of mediocrity would have been stemmed with the arrival of a well-educated appointed in the education sector – Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, we are now faced with new waves of neo-Victorian indignations.
The ideology of “geriatric-ism” and “friends and family-ism” seems to be the overwhelming criteria in choosing candidates to serve all over the system leading me to ask what has really changed?
I am in constant contact with some of the key players in the private sector and every single one of them continues to say to me that they are struggling to find the quality of employees that they need.  But when one communicates with the UG graduates, the common theme remains (even with a UG degree), “we cannot find a job”.
So why this disconnect between the demand and supply in the labor market in Guyana?
Several lecturers reliably advised me that UG is pushing out graduates, who in the majority cannot comprehend basic high school calculus or geometry.
Say what! No nation cannot progress or offer any hope to its young people until and unless that country fixes its system of education.  What is happening in this sector will directly unleash our potential or condemn our nation to backwardness – the choice is ours.
I must say the new Vice Chancellor is sending some positive signals that he wants to act by using the lessons from the recent past as his guide. But until and unless he gain political support at the highest level, his ambition to reform and refocus UG will fail. Does he have that support?
The Skills Gap Debate
Guyana’s skills gap refuses to shrink. Why is this so? Who should take the lead in bridging the gap? Again, all are responsible especially the post-2005 PPP government, the current Granger government, NCERD, the high school administrators, the technical institutes, and UG.  All of these institutions have collectively failed Guyana for the last 15 years.  They have not provided the right kind of leadership to influence the right kinds of training in the right fields so that our students can upskill to fill the gaps in the marketplace.
I went to high school in some of the worst days of Guyana’s history when we did not have adequate books and we wore “Burnham bedding” but none of that mattered because we had teachers who were our second parents.  They were our mentors, our guidance counselors and we respected and trusted them.
I always said if it was not for a lady called Mrs. Shirley Greene with her deep Christian principles and stern forms of education, I may never have been where I am today.  This is the missing link in Guyana today. Too little attention is being paid to the well-being and economic welfare of our teachers by the successive administrations in the Education Ministry and too little support is being offered to them to empower them to do their job.
This has to be fixed now, not next year or the year after.
That is why I firmly reject the position of President David Granger when he refuses to meet the GTU (KN 30/09/2016).  Which reasonable, balanced, engaging and practical leader refuses to meet the teachers union? Why are the politicians ignoring the teachers even as the system of education continues to crumble?
The evidence will show that most of the credit for this mess in the education system has to borne by former Ministers Sheik Baksh and Priya Manickchand.  However, there has been no respite since May-2015 for the educators and students. With the appointment of a professional educator to the post of Minister of Education, all felt relieved.
Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine ought to know, act and lead more competently at transforming the fledgling education system in Guyana.  However, after 16 months, sadly, his performance is even worse than his PPP predecessor.
His first failure is not effectively engaging the GTU and UGWU as vital tools in crafting solutions to the problems in the system. It is turning out to be one of the greatest inhibitors to our national development.  Most of the signals being sent by most of the relevant senior players in the education system since May 2015, including the Minister Technical Advisor, Mr. Vincent Alexander (former PNC leadership candidate), illustrates that they are clearly “out to lunch” on the key issues.
Show me one policy under this new team that places the primary focus on investing in students and teachers.  I am not talking buildings, I am not talking about physical things; I am talking about real human investments.
But even worse is that their performance is at variance with Foundation 12 of the APNU/AFC manifesto, which to date has been kicked about in such a callous and cavalier manner, so much so, that the document is not even worth the paper it is written on today.
When the real representatives of the wealth in the sector (the educators) are treated as second-class citizens, we have to be dismayed. But why Dr. Roopnaraine? As a graduate of Cambridge and Cornell, much is expected. So why this paucity in executive performance? Why this perilously performance that is so out of focus? Why such low levels of energy at education policy construction?  Has this superbly brilliant scholar been castrated politically to the point that he cannot act and make decisions?
So, as we continue to produce an increasing number of functionally illiterate graduates from the high school and university system who are ill equipped to skillfully engage the working world, we will continue to not effectively transform our economy.  One only has to look at one subject – Mathematics.
Until Guyana gets it right with Mathematics, it will always struggle to morph into a value added, the competitive economic trendsetter with a progressive growth rate of 7-8%.  Only a mediocre mind celebrates a growth rate of 4% and less and we know what we have in the Office of the Minister of Finance.
Conclusion
The Guyanese system of education urgently needs a kick-start in action, not in words. This problem has to be owned by the President and he ought to meet and empower the educators with a tangible salary increase with relevant non-monetary benefits like low-cost house lots, mortgage collateral support letters and so on.
More importantly, let us focus on the educators and the students for once and really find out what they need collectively to allow them to do their job. Anyone looking at the scholastic performance in Mathematics across Guyana at any level will agree that the current system yields unacceptable results. That has to change!
But the leadership for that change starts with the President.  If this problem is not owned at the top, the Guyana will not be prepared today, to carry out the important work that is needed tomorrow. Is this the Granger legacy?
Sase Singh, M.Sc. – Finance, ACCA

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