Latest update December 31st, 2024 3:30 AM
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“Hinterland teachers deserve better”
…Region One educators chant during ongoing protests
Kaieteur News – As the strike by teachers continues across the country, dozens of the educators in the North West District braved the heat to join their colleagues on the Coastland in protest this week as they called on the government for an increase in their salaries, among other demands.
Teachers of Port Kaituma during their protest action on Wednesday.
“Teachers deserve respect and fair pay,” one placard read at Moruca. “Stop the victimization, we need collective bargaining,” another at Port Kaituma read.
On Thursday morning, teachers from schools within the Moruca sub region gathered in front of the Department of Education building at Santa Rosa bearing their placards as they chanted and called on the Ministry of Education to address their concerns.
Reports are that teachers from the villages of Manawarin, Karaburi, Santa Rosa, Kwebana, Chinese Landing and Wicarebe are on strike. The teachers from those communities were among those on the picket line at Santa Rosa on Wednesday and Thursday.
According to reports, while more than 90% of the teachers from the schools are participating in the strike, a few junior teachers, some of whom are fearful of being dismissed from the job, have turned up for work. The teachers told this publication that they will continue the strike action in support of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) until their concerns are heard and addressed by the government. They said more teachers will be joining the protest next week.
Over at Port Kaituma the teachers gathered opposite the Education Department building on Wednesday and Thursday for the fourth consecutive day as they protested for an increase in their salaries among other demands. “We the teachers of this lovely ONE GUYANA deserve to be respected,” one placard read while another stated “Just listen so we don’t have to do this again. We need better salaries,” another stated.
Teachers from the Port Kaituma primary, secondary and nursery schools as well as the Falls Top Primary and Canal Bank Nursery schools took part in the protest this week.
Teachers from the Four Miles Nursery stayed home in support of their striking colleagues.”Well better living conditions at the teachers quarters, Port Kaituma Primary School is in need of an extention or we would say a new school, because that building was once an old dormitory which they refurbished,” a teacher noted.
“But that current building can’t accommodate the children. As of recently we had 3 classes moved to the Amerindian Hostel because of space,” she added.
At the town of Mabaruma, the mood among teachers this week has been one of concern and anger as they expressed themselves on the picket line in front of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) building since Monday when the countrywide protests started.
According to the GTU, 100% of the staff of several schools within the Mabaruma sub-region are on strike. Those schools include the White Water Primary, St. Mary’s Primary, St Peter and Paul’s Primary at Morawhanna, Wauna Primary, Mabaruma Nursery, and Hotoquai Primary. The GTU said 90% of staff of the Sacred Heart Primary and St Anthony’s Primary have taken industrial action. The union noted that staff of the Hosororo Primary, Koberimo Primary are among those on strike.
IT was noted too that more than 80% of the staff of the region’s premier secondary school, the North West Secondary School, are on strike.
Reports are that the teachers in Region One have vowed to continue their protest despite threats from education officials, some of whom have journeyed to villages such as Kwebana and Manawarin and told staff this week that they will be dismissed from the profession for taking part in the strike. It was noted too that the education departments in the three sub regions have been sending their staff to take photographs by grouping the students in attendance at schools into classrooms to gave an impression of large turnout of students.
Teachers at Mabaruma told this publication that the strike is likely to have an impact on the schools Mashramani Competition since preparations for the event have been affected by the ongoing strike.
The GTU noted that a number of schools at Region One including those in riverine areas have joined the strike, as the union fights for its demands from the government.
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