President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union, Mark Lyte is convinced that all is not well in Guyana’s Education Sector, and he has lashed out at the Government over its failure to respond to the multi-year agreement which has been proposed by the union.

He has also berated the Government over the non-appointment of the Teaching Service Commission, which has stalled the promotion of senior teachers.

Addressing the press at GTU’s General Council Meeting on Tuesday, Mr Lyte said between 2020 and 2022, the multi-year agreement, which addresses issues relating to salaries and benefits for teachers, was submitted to President Irfaan Ali, the Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, the Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, the Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry, Alfred King, and the Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, but there has been no response from any of them.

“I wish to say that in all these instances, we have received no response from the various ministries, and it is an indication of the manner in which our teachers, and the teachers of this country teachers have been treated,” the GTU President said.

He said the 8% salary increase, which was imposed by the Irfaan Ali Administration on public sector workers, will only see teachers taking home an additional $3000. He said such a meagre increase cannot cushion the impact of the steep rise in cost of living, and the rise in food prices.

He said the multi-year agreement addresses a number of important issues.

“We also have other outstanding matters that pertain to the finances of our teachers – outstanding in terms of debunching, which should have been implemented since 2019, outstanding 2% in the 2017 calculations, increments base on the adjustment of salaries, and the timely payment of weekly council. We have highly that several regions did not honour the agreed position of paying weekly council in June,” the GTU president explained.

Mr Lyte complained too that the non-appointment of the Teaching Service Commission is stalling the promotion of senior teachers, and has resulted in the Ministry of Education absorbing the functions of the Commission by appointing junior teachers.

“We have seen no promotion for teachers and many of those persons who are eligible for promotion have had to retire without being awarded that last promotion that would have an impact on their gratuity and their pension per year. The absence of a commission indicates that teachers would have the processing of their documents stymied,” he explained.

The life of the last commission expired in February 2020, and according to Mr Lyte, the union has submitted its nominee to sit on the Commission.

He said though being the nation builders, teachers in Guyana are being treated poorly.

“We have seen the farmers, we have seen the fishermen, we have seen recently the disciplined forces, we have seen the nurses, but no mention of our teachers, and we boast about improved performances. Just recently the Ministry of Education was on record indicating that we topped the Caribbean in CAPE and CSEC, and this is worrying because if the teachers of this country are putting Guyana on the map when it comes to CSEC and CAPE performances, why can’t our teachers be given our due award and respect,” the GTU President reasoned.

The GTU President said it is disrespectful that the President and his Government have not seen it fitting to engage the union.

He has called again on the government to meet with the union and finalise the multi-year agreement.

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