Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo today said that a large number of the nation’s teachers who have been on strike have started to return to the classroom. He has also issued a stern warning to Headteachers not to close schools or prevent teachers from going into the classroom, making it clear that there will be consequences.

At his weekly press conference this afternoon, Mr. Jagdeo stated that the Government has been concerned about the learning loss for students during the strike. He noted that while some teachers are still on strike, others are heading back to work.

“We have seen a significant number of the teachers going back to schools, you have had a few cases where headteachers have closed the school and disappear and if they continue to, they will be a different kind of disciplinary action, we making it clear, because you can choose to withdraw your labour but not to prevent other people from working,” Mr. Jagdeo said.

The Vice President maintained that the Government has introduced a number of measures to improve the lives of teachers and said that the strike action was called by the GTU when there has been an active negotiation between the Union and the Education Ministry. 

The government has not shown any interest to meet with the Teachers Union during the strike and now that some teachers are beginning to go back to school, the Vice President is also urging students to return to the classroom.

“The problem is a lot of people, still are not sending their kids to school.  I have seen the stats where 85% of teachers in some regions are back in the classroom, and still the students are not there, so the teachers are there now and only 10% of the students have returned to school,” the Vice President noted.

Mr. Jagdeo said the Government remains committed to addressing the concerns of the teachers, but stated there is a lot of bad faith negotiations on the part of the union. He said until the union can prove that it is acting only in the interest of teachers, then will the government be prepared to re-engage.

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