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Exams fears set in as teachers’ strike prolongs
Kaieteur News – The Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) has said that the Government of Guyana should accept some blame for teachers not being in school as students across Guyana prepare to write National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC).
GTU President, Dr. Mark Lyte
Speaking to the media as the teachers’ strike entered the 4th week; GTU President Mark Lyte noted that the protracted industrial action is taking its toll on the public school system, “but we have the government to blame for that.” “We are not taking blame for anything. We have teachers staying away from the classroom for four weeks and counting, they do not want to be out here but the government has closed their eyes to the cries of teachers…” Lyte asserted.
“We have exercised a lot of patience over the many years, three plus years, and to take a stand at a time when we believe that the system needs us most is always a critical approach. What we have seen is the uncaring side of the government not willing to consider our children and the plight of our teachers.”
The GTU President noted that all efforts by the union to get the Government to address the substantive issue of salary increase for teachers have been ignored. Lyte said that the GTU wrote to the Government two weeks ago, seeking a meeting and indicating the conditions that have to be met for the strike to come to an end but that letter too was ignored.
“It is disrespectful for someone to write you and you don’t respond, and it has been over three weeks since we wrote the Permanent Secretary [of the Ministry of Education]; disrespectfully no response. But whatever it takes to have government understand that we are serious about this, and that we are serious about our position to come to the table and have that engagement, we don’t mind resending the letter to them,” he explained.
Teachers assembled outside the Ministry of Education on Brickdam, Georgetown in protest for the 4th week in a row
As it relates the move by the Education Ministry to cut the salaries of the striking teachers which has been temporarily blocked by an order issued by the High Court, Lyte said the union has not gotten any feedback from the government since the court ruling. “We do hope that they comply with the judge’s order, and that the matter is allowed to take its course in the court for the judge to decide based on the evidence,” he said.
GTU President said it is time for the narrative set by the Government that the strike is political, to be buried. “We are wearing black and white today to bury that narrative… This strike has always been about our bread and butter”. “I think the demonstration of teachers across Guyana would have shown that this has nothing to do with politics. In fact, some of our placards are saying, ‘it is not political, it is economical,’ and that is why you see teachers of all colours, shades, levels in the education sector standing out here. And, we resolutely believe that the government has to come to the table, and that has been our position,” Lyte added.
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