Dear Editor,
In a recent conversation with a young relative, she lamented to me that she, a qualified teacher, was looking to return to the profession but was having much difficulty. She sent in an application and has been checking with the Teaching Service Commission for many months. Each time she is only allowed to speak to a most junior officer who informed her that they have applications going back 2013 and that they look at them on a first come first served basis. This teacher was told last week that they will call her if there is a need. If my information is correct I have the following questions for the Teaching Service Commission: 1. Are there vacancies for teachers in Guyana? 2. How long does it take to process an application? 3. With the new school year about to start, when will applicants know if they have a job? 4. Why does a qualified candidate who wants to join or return to the teaching profession have to wait for several months? 5. Is there a senior officer available to meet with applicants and explain the process?
I have read in the newspapers and have heard from friends and relatives with children in school that during the last school year there were classes and subjects without teachers in some Georgetown schools. I have also read that numbers of qualified Guyanese teachers quit at the end of each school year to ply their trade abroad, and along with those teachers who are retiring, there must be many vacancies to fill.
A qualified, trained teacher should not have to wait several months for a teaching position when there are vacancies waiting to be filled. Please give qualified teachers the respect and dignity they deserve by processing their applications in a timely manner and communicating with them during the process.
Yours faithfully,
Pamela Richmond
