– In protest over MoE handling of Queen’s College investigation into Neesa Gopaul’s death
The Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) is at odds with the Ministry of Education (MoE) over its handling of an investigation relating to the death of former Queen’s College (QC) student Neesa Gopaul and has decided to pull its expertise from the upcoming National Schools Track and Field, Cycling and Swimming championships.
This was disclosed late last evening by GTU president Colin Bynoe.
“The GTU will be ceasing all operations reference to the National Schools’ Championships with immediate effect until the matter in relation to Neesa Gopaul and the QC teachers can be rectified,” Bynoe told Stabroek Sport last evening.
Efforts to contact Pulander Kandhi, Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education last night proved futile.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon, had last week indicated that five members of staff of Queen’s College including the head and the deputy head, are to face disciplinary action for their involvement in the Neesa Gopaul issue.
According to Dr. Luncheon, an investigation by the MoE found the five staff members culpable of not doing their best to render assistance to the teen.
But Bynoe last evening said that MoE chose to commission an inquiry into the matter without the involvement of the GTU which was in contravention of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the GTU and the MoE hence the decision to cease all operations for the championships which is scheduled to take place from Tuesday at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.
“A team was put together comprising four persons from the MoE. That team was headed by Marcell Hudson and the terms of reference that was given to this team was to examine the attendance records of Neesa Gopaul.
“The second thing they had to examine were records of such complaints made against Neesa’s parents, they had to examine class records, the HM log book, and they had to interview all staff that could provide the team with relevant information,” he added.
“Instead they did more than that. The thing is, the report that they submitted, whatsoever report that was supplied by that team, it resulted in the teachers being demoted and barred from promotions. So I am saying there were procedural faults in that,
1) The GTU was never involved in the investigation, was never invited to be a part of the investigation
2) The teachers were not formally charged and the natural course of justice was not allowed to happen; they were just penalized for the proactive stance that they took in the matter.
“Because of this, the document that was sent to these teachers this afternoon (yesterday) it was copied to several persons and not to the GTU, and we see that as being very disrespectful,” Bynoe charged.
He said that the GTU has been working feverishly to ensure this year’s championships which is expected to cost around $15m, be successful while thinking that there existed a cordial relationship with the ministry.
“But instead they have stabbed us in the back with the way in which they have dealt with the matter at QC.
“Unless the MoE rectifies this matter this championships can go sour,” Bynoe declared.
Questioned whether the championships would still take place without the GTU’s input, Bynoe said that the GTU was leaving the door open for the MoE to find the necessary personnel to run the championships.
“We have the institutional capacity and the necessary experience,“ he declared adding that the GTU will maintain its position until the matter is rectified.
Gopaul’s partly decomposed body was found in a suitcase in a creek at Emerald Tower. Her mother Bibi Sharima ‘Naree’ Gopaul and her mother’s lover, Barry Small, have been jointly charged with the murder.
The main opposition party the People’s National Congress Reform recently mounted a protest outside the office of Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand over Manickchand’s ministry’s handling of the affair.
The GTU and government over the years have always been at odds over the staging of the event with funding often being the core issue.
In 2008, then GTU president Colywn King had declared that he would not beg the government for funding to stage the championships which had been budgeted at around $10m dollars with the MoE stating that it could only give the GTU some $2.8m.