Education Minister promises that “Teachers’ voices will not find resistance in “Education Ministry”

The 2nd Triennial Guyana Teachers’ Union Delegates Conference opened Thursday evening in the Bertram Hamilton Auditorium at the Union’s headquarters on Woolford Avenue.

Education Minister, Priya Manickchand disclosed that the GTU will not find any resistance from within the Education Ministry during engagements on any matter. “Your voice will not find resistance in the Ministry of Education, where it is practical, where it sensible and where it is impartial. That voice must be the amalgamation and reflection of the highly diverse and sometimes contrasting ideas and desires of our teaching force,” Manickchand said. The minister noted that it is vital that the Union is perceived as being balanced, unbiased and the ultimate defender of the rights of all teachers. Manickchand said that the Union must stay resolute in its desire to be the impartial intermediary that teachers need and deserve and must resist being easily swayed by the objectives and agendas of desperate groups within society. She stressed that it is on this premise that the relevance, evolution and eventual success of the Union rests.

Minister Manickchand stressed that the Ministry’s commitment to working hand in hand with the Union to advance the overall standing of teachers since the Ministry views this as a vital prerequisite for the improvement of the education system. The minister pointed out that currently, over 2500 teachers are beneficiaries of scholarships through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) pursuing degrees, masters, PhDs and postgraduate programmes. The minister further noted that due to COVID and the physical closure of the Cyril Potter College of Education, teacher training was expanded and offered online which increased the intake at the College from the traditional 535 to now enrolling 3000 new students due to offering training online.

The education minister noted that the aim is to have 100 per cent of the teachers in the education system be trained or are in the process of being trained. She disclosed that though there are great untrained teachers in the system, students are more likely to receive better instruction from teachers who have undergone training. Manickchand stressed that the Ministry and the Union must work in partnership and meet each other earnestly and objectively with a singular mission of securing a better future for the children of Guyana. As such, she said that both parties must develop a stronger alliance that fosters greater social dialogue to facilitate the voices of teachers being fully and continuously heard.

Minister Manickchand urged that this partnership must ensure that teachers receive access to professional development opportunities that align with the needs of educators and that policies must be devised to advance the empowerment of teachers and their professional practice. Meanwhile, President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union, Mark Lyte revealed that COVID allowed the Education Ministry and teachers to utilize and embrace the benefits of technology to education delivery and management. Lyte issued a call for greater investment in the use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) moving forward.

Presentations were also done by Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton and Mr. Lincoln Lewis on behalf of the Guyana Trades Union Congress at Thursday’s opening.