Dear Editor,
With interest, I read E B John’s letter titled ‘Teaching vacancies alarming’ which was published in the Stabroek News of January 24 and I have the following points regarding his analysis:
1. Vacancies would have arisen as a result of promotions in 2010. For example, if a head of department became deputy headteacher in 2010 then the head of department position will now be filled in the 2011 promotions. Hence, vacancies arise as a result of past promotion.
2. Mr John claims a “deficit of teachers in Mathematics, Science, Agricultural Science and Information Technology.” The fact that he is analyzing the list of senior vacancies makes this claim ridiculous. This list says that there is need for a head of department; it does not say that there is a shortage of teachers for the subject.
3. Mr John calculates that 620 vacancies were published. It is erroneous to subsequently assume that 620 posts are currently without anyone in the schools in our country. Many of these posts are occupied by persons who have been given permission by the TSC to act. They are normally paid and are expected to fulfil all the duties of the post. They will act until the 2011 promotions have been made official.
4. The fact that most of these vacancies will be filled indicates that there is no significant shortage of teachers in most regions. Additionally, a list of 620 vacancies indicates that there is no stagnation on the part of teachers within the system.
5. Mr John alludes to a “hole.” There is no hole. In Guyana, promotion is mainly determined by length of service. As such, every year more and more become eligible for promotion. For example, all 2005 graduates of CPCE are eligible for promotion this year. Further, all 2006 UG graduates (untrained graduate teachers) are also eligible for promotion.
6. In the teaching system, if a teacher completes 5 years as a trained teacher and cannot be promoted because of a lack of vacancy, then he or she is appointed as senior assistant master/mistress (SAM). I wish to inform Mr John that we have hundreds of SAMs which is clear indication that there is no shortage of senior personnel.
Editor, it is evident that Mr John should have undertaken qualitative rather than quantitative research to decipher the nature of vacancies within our schools.
I will not comment on Mr John’s strategy to combat this imagined problem or his deduction of what is needed based on a flawed analysis. I will wait until there is evidence that such a problem exists. I suggest that Mr John does the same.
Yours faithfully,
Mohammed S Hussain
