Dear Editor,

Guyanese should not take lightly that 154 teachers were barred from entering the classroom last year. The chilling reports in the newspapers this past week paint a sadder picture of our teachers in Guyana and without a doubt our failing education system. Surely, this does not augur well for the education sector. But still many questions linger in my mind with regard to the dismissal of those teachers. One hundred and fifty-four teachers were dismissed but against what backdrop? What is the total number of teachers in the workforce in Guyana at the moment? What categories of teachers were dismissed, with regard to nursery, primary and secondary levels? What professional qualifications did these teachers have? Did the teachers have a fair day in court, as we say? Was dismissal the last resort for those teachers? Where was the Guyana Teachers Union when 154 teachers were dismissed from the education system?

The charges which the release from the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) listed were indeed shocking to say the least. Carnal knowledge, fighting and (to my amazement) drunkenness were unbelievable. I cannot believe some within what many describe as the most respected profession would consume alcohol and then interact with our children in school. It is totally abhorrent and sinister.

The charge of ‘poor record-keeping’ according to the article in the papers reinforces the fact that teachers now are record-keepers. This has been added to the list of duties we have to perform on a daily basis. Being a teacher myself, if I do not strategically plan my work and schedule to complete records, I will find myself in disarray. Many teachers, though, find this task of record-keeping very challenging and cumbersome alongside their major responsibility to care for, nurture and most importantly teach the children. A teacher’s job gets really chaotic during examinations season, when he or she has to mark hundreds of test scripts, prepare numerous tally sheets of scores and enter these scores repeatedly in several documents for filing purposes. Students’ report cards, too, have to be completed. I saw that that was one of the charges on which teachers were let go.

With so much on our plates when the work day arrives, the recent upsurge in indiscipline and hooliganism in schools does not make our jobs any easier. But do carry on, oh teachers of Guyana! I beg of you to wear the name of this profession with dignity, pride, honour and most of all, pure character. Teachers should never be dismissed from their profession, so perform your jobs to the highest standards. Our nation – our children – will suffer more when the number of teachers – dedicated ones – slowly diminishes. After all, aren’t we nation builders?

Yours faithfully,
Leon Jameson Suseran