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Teachers call for the reduction of class sizes
– GTU says it’s a violation of the law
General Secretary of GTU, Coretta McDonald
The Ministry of Education remains reluctant to decrease the class sizes in schools despite a recent circular that was sent to educational institutions in relation to manageability, in the latter part of September.
According to the General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers’ Union, Coretta McDonald, not only does this pose an issue in the classroom, but it is also a violation of rights.
The circular sent out by the Ministry of Education, stipulates, among other things, that one teacher is expected to supervise 20 students or pupils, should they be taken to any event or activity outside of school. This was penned with the intent of improving the teacher’s ability to manage the children.
The new regulation followed the death of a six-year old boy, who died while in the care of his teachers at a sports event in September.
While the circular effectively managed to create worry for teachers in other aspects, educators took the opportunity to call on the Education Ministry to have class sizes reduced.
This, according to them, will ensure the proper management of students and pupils, not only outside the classroom, but inside as well.
A teacher complained that in some schools, there are as many as 40 children in one classroom. While this may seem like not such of a high number, a teacher expressed dissatisfaction, since he is expected as a class teacher to not only teach, but mark the books of all his pupils for all eight subjects, given the fact that he is a Primary School teacher.
McDonald said yesterday that the issue of classrooms being overcrowded is one that has been present for quite some time. It was argued that the laws of Guyana clearly state that there should be a specified class size. This, she said, is a law that the Ministry is not abiding by.
The Ministry of Education, while not officially responding to this newspaper despite efforts made in this regard, recently published an article online, on November 8 last, which stated that, “Attention has been given to the siting of schools and basic requisites, sanitary and safety facilities, classroom size and accessories, class and school enrolment…”
Although the Ministry made this claim that “attention” is being paid to these areas as well as others, it stated clearly in the article that, “It will be imprudent to think that these standards can all be achieved over-night .Some of them can be put in place almost immediately, while the others can be implemented in either the medium or long term”.
President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union, Mark Lyte had last month pointed out his view on the memorandum, where he expressed grave dissatisfaction on the matter. Lyte had even requested that the Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson, retracted the memorandum and had it amended.
He shared the view that although the very memorandum states that one teacher is responsible for 20 students or pupils it is “unrealistic,” since classrooms currently have over this specified number of children that teachers are expected to supervise.
He pointed out that he was even made aware of a distasteful situation, whereby one teacher was managing over 70 students.
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It’s unimaginable that teaching and learning can take place (effectively) in an over crowded clsssroom with 40 students.