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GTU hails ‘isolation day’ a success
…says 60 percent of teachers did not report for duty
Kaieteur News – The Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has rebutted claims by the Ministry of Education (MoE) that 74 percent of teachers reported for duty on Monday, when in fact, 60 percent of the workforce were not present, but stood in solidarity with the Union’s call for an ‘Isolation Day’.
President of the Guyana Teacher’s Union, Mark Lyte
In a telephone interview with this publication on Tuesday, GTU President, Mark Lyte said that the figures shared by the ministry were absolutely ridiculous. The President said, “The time books would show what the numbers are across the country. What I think was meant is that 74 percent of schools were open since indeed teachers cannot close the doors, it is the CEO (Chief Education Officer) who would make that call”.
“To say that 74 percent of teachers turned out for work would be grossly inaccurate,” he continued. On Monday, the ministry in a release said 74 percent of teachers turned out to work, despite calls to stay away from classes. This figure, according to the ministry, represents 84 percent of schools for which the Ministry received.
But according to the Union head, most schools which were opened functioned on “skeletal” staff”, while some only went for one session, in support of the GTU’s call for an ‘Isolation Day’ in the wake of climbing COVID-19 cases.
He was keen to note too that Monday’s ‘Isolation Day’ was not only supported by the Union’s members, but also non-members. According to Lyte, the GTU representatives from schools across the country would have shared the figures with the Union. Based on reports received, he said that schools such as the Golden Grove Secondary School, East Coast Demerara had no teachers that reported for duty. Meanwhile, the Golden Grove Primary, ECD only had a few teachers. “So what they did was take out pictures with one teacher and some children in a classroom to create the illusion that school went on as normal,” Lyte informed.
Over on the Corentyne Coast, Lyte said the Port Mourant Secondary School, where he serves as Head Teacher, had a turnout of seven teachers of the 42 on roll, contrary to reports in other sections of the media.
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand
Lyte said he was disappointed that the ministry only published photographs that showed one student in a bench. “I challenge you and anyone else to walk into a school at any time to see how those children are seated and you would see that they are not following the protocols of the Gazetted COVID measures,” he argued.
When it comes to the Union’s call for a two-week suspension of face-to-face learning, he explained that the ministry is yet to respond.
Government reopened public schools last Monday to most students for face-to-face learning, after months of closure due to the pandemic. During the past week however, Guyana has recorded the most cases ever documented, reaching record breaking figures at least five consecutive days. As a consequence, the union has called on the Ministry of Education to suspend face-to-face learning for at least two weeks.
During a Press Conference on Sunday Lyte said, “We are calling on the Ministry to suspend all face-to- face classes for two weeks so that this surge or this spike can be reduced and we can go back into a face-to face setting after those two weeks, should the spike be showing a downward trend”.
Teachers were urged to participate in the one-day ‘isolation’ on Monday to protest the reopening of schools for face-to-face learning, without requisite safety measures being in place. The Union urged its teachers to remain at home, thereby abstaining from even virtual learning, in the face of the more than 175 teachers and 90 students who had tested positive for the deadly virus, based on statistics, which they received Sunday. Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton upon receiving the news of what he described as strike action warned that teachers who decide to stay away from work will not be paid. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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