Look, I do feel enough seems to have been written on everything by the dozens of columnists and commentators already. Sometimes I’m hard put to be different or to be even supplementary.
So when I comment briefly on the nation’s teachers, I need to avoid repetition about their lapses, their lessons/get-additional-income syndrome and the inadequacies of their premier training institution. My “soft spot” for teachers resides in the fact that I myself was a practising Primary teacher for eleven (11) years and a junior “educator” for another eight (8) years (at the then Curriculum Development Centre.)
Yes okay, you can imagine my disconnect with many of today’s aspects of teacher-student issues. Re-elected Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) President Colin Bynoe has, to his credit, publicized many of the misdemeanours of his young members for all to hear. Surely, he should support the Education Ministry and the better Headteachers when enforcement of improved personal and professional standards are demanded.
But Guess What? The two perspectives related to teachers I wish to raise, now follow.
*****
The President, The Elections…
It was a small, simple, but wholly significant gesture! President Donald Ramotar chose to attend a session of the GTU’s Conference a few days ago. The President actually threw himself into one or two debatable issues regarding teachers, their work, their status and rewards.
I applaud President Ramotar for his active presence among those who chose to mould our young minds. Teachers rank right up there with other vital workers – farmers, policemen, nurses etc. A nation’s teachers’ status should be sacrosanct if they uphold sustained excellence.
For every other category of worker was taught by a teacher at some time! The President would have mingled with the few “Old Guard” and retired teachers left. And he would have met the younger ones. Let’s hope that his presence and promises inspire(d) renewed pledges of the pursuit of professional excellence.
The Teachers’ Union’s executive, however, must convince me that they too are worthy of emulation by their younger members. I’ll return to this point in two paragraphs hence.
I now propose that our senior students be made to view critically video-tapes of the National Assembly debates, including the current 2012 Budget goings-on.
Just contemplate: Guyana’s school-going youth will, with some informed guidance, be able to experience just how our Honourable Representatives, at the highest level and fora, represent us and themselves. Imagine too, our senior students will see how our Parliamentarians read their presentations; how they heckle good-naturedly, wittily – or in very bad taste.
There are very few law-makers I admire these days. I trust our students will be more fortunate than I.
Back to our teachers’ union representatives. I’ll graciously not dwell on the Court case coming up against Colwyn King, the former GTU President, now under a cloud, the likes of which has a tendency to dissipate in our judicial “arrangements”.
Rather, I must mention the fall-out from the teachers’ union just-concluded elections. (Did the President of the Republic hear of the questionable election of the President of the GTU?)
Imagine GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald being quoted, without any disclaimer, as saying: “It is true that many of you did not get to vote… but the new Executive will represent All teachers…”
I can’t come to terms with that, try as I might. Hundreds disenfranchised, with an acknowledgement but told to be cool, be satisfied about it. Surely this is unbecoming of our teachers and their reps. Surely too, there are grounds for taking those elections results to court! A distressing microcosm from our “moulders of minds”.
The city and the roads
I concede. Soldier-Historian Joseph G Singh beat me to it earlier this week. I had planned to explore historic Georgetown on this the 200th anniversary of its name.
I am therefore left to heartily endorse the views of Major-General (Retired) Singh as he delineated what is to be done about this God-forsaken, Garbage City.
I thank my New York-based countrymen and women for highlighting and reminding me of the anniversary via their Newsletter. Why is there no anniversary Hullabaloo right here in Georgetown? Shame!?
So has the long-awaited news broken? I mean the contracts! MOU! For the Brazil-Guyana highway! Remember I alerted you all – most happily, last Friday? And what about a/the railway? A railway that Stanley Ming, Hamley Case, Bharrat Jagdeo – and I – would welcome? Stand by my people. Highway? Railway? Implications and consequences?
Post-Easter ponderings…
*1) Acting Tourism Minister? When will President Donald appoint the four technocrat ministers and two Parliamentary Secretaries? Is Joe Hamilton one?
*2) May Day is around the corner. Will David Granger make his maiden TUC speech? Will there never be one Rally on Workers Day anymore?
*3) Thanks to Dave Martins for teaching that the Beat rules in today’s music. I still prefer the balanced combination of both. What about you, Dave?
*4) Does the Honourable Member Winston Felix sit next to the Honourable Member Basil Williams in the National Assembly. Very close friends and colleagues, right?
*5) Marriott? What’s the status of that lovely hotel/building behind the Princess at Providence?
And the scandal at High and Princes Streets?
‘Til next week!
(Comments? allanafenty@yahoo.com)
