Dear Editor,
I note that the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) has published its Vacancy Notice, 2015 in the Sunday Stabroek of February 15, 2015.
In 2012 when I happened to be in Guyana, I had to write SN pointing out a major flaw in the 2012 ad, and hinting at other infelicities (‘Teaching Service Commission deadline is incorrect,’ SN, January 31, 2012). In response, Mr Pulandar Kandhi, Secretary, TSC wrote SN thanking me for pointing out the error. He issued a new and better deadline date. (See ‘Closing date in Teaching Service Commission ad was an error,’ SN, February 2, 2012).
Thereafter, I had to write SN three further letters pointing out other difficulties with the advertisement.
These letters were, firstly, ‘There are other infelicities in the TSC vacancy ad’ (SN, February 3, 2012); secondly, ‘The Vacancy Notice is not just for Georgetown teachers’ (SN, February 19, 2012); and thirdly, ‘Conflicting advertisements’ (SN, February 21, 2012).
I was not here at the relevant time in 2013 and 2014, and I do not know what happened then. But lo and behold! The TSC is at it again this year. The membership of the TSC may have been changed since 2012, but Mr Kandhi is still the Secretary. May I ask him, please, to re-read the 2015 ad standing in his name and note that the ad gives a closing date for the copy of each application to reach the TSC from each applicant, as noon of Friday, March 20, 2015, and then later in the ad the material reads: “All copies of applications, clearly marked COPY must be signed by the Headteacher and delivered to the Secretary, Teaching Service Commission no later than noon of Friday, April 10, 2015.” I submit, without fear of successful contradiction, that the latter date is incorrect.
And, with respect, may I ask that Mr Kandhi re-read Clause No 7 under ‘Directions To Be Observed By Applicants’ and at least try to understand the point I was making about a similar clause in the 2012 Vacancy Notice.
In SN of Friday, February 3, 2012: “There are other infelicities in the TSC vacancy ad” I had cause to write:
“Mr Kandhi has perhaps not re-read the TSC vacancy ad carefully after seeing my letter in SN, and so may not have noticed other infelicities. May I suggest, with respect, that the wording of the first sentence of (Clause 8) under ‘Directions to be Observed by Applicants’ is nonsense, and cannot be enforced. Letters of offer of appointment go out to teachers before schools are closed for the August holidays. Teachers cannot take up their new appointment until the new school year, hence threatening to debar them from promotion for up to three years makes no sense.
The sentence needs to have words such as: “or within one (1) month of the date for the re-opening of schools (whichever is the later)” inserted.
With respect, this is one of my areas of expertise, and I respectfully ask Mr Kandhi to trust me on this one.
As I wrote in my first letter on these matters in 2012: “I presume that officials of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (and teachers generally) are reading the advertisement and will draw to the attention of the Teaching Service Commission any (further) infelicities they find.”
Incidentally, I note that in the Sunday Chronicle of February 15, 2015, the Ministry of Education has published a Vacancy Notice for schools with School Boards.
In keeping with their circumstances and their procedures, the ad states: “All applications must reach the Coordinator, School Boards Secretariat, Ministry of Education, 21 Brickdam, Georgetown on or before Friday March 20, 2015.”
I advise and urge all interested teachers to check both vacancy ads and follow each set of instructions carefully.
Yours faithfully,
George N Cave
