An increase in allowances along with addressing hot classrooms were some of the issues highlighted by teachers at a meeting on Monday with President Irfaan Ali at State House in Georgetown.
The meeting saw President Ali and cabinet ministers directly engaging with senior teachers and head teachers who highlighted the urgent need for a number of improvements in the education sector.
According to the principal of St. Stanislaus College, allowances should be prioritised over salary increases since after taxes are deducted from their monies, teachers are not left with anything substantial.
“Being a wife of a former policeman, I would always put all of our pay slips together and as teachers, we get a big gross but after deductions we are looking thin, while policemen and military officers get meal allowance, overtime, laundry allowance and a whole lot going for them”, she said.
To this statement, the president responded, “I really gotta check and see what going on there.”
This garnered a hearty laugh from the teachers before the principal went on to provide examples to the president on ways the allowances could be provided.
“We normally get uniform allowance every August, which is $8,000 and that can only buy a pair of shoes… so at least increases there would be a good start.” she offered.
In the meeting, which was held without formal representation from the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), President Ali reiterated his understanding of the teacher’s request which he promised would be looked at holistically, but no guarantee was given as against the on-the-spot solutions regarding the fixing of school- related matters.
“Your idea is that we should focus on allowances that add more to the net income and not the gross income.” The president related.
A teacher of Paramakatoi Primary, while mentioning the dire need for an extension to the school building to mitigate overcrowding, briefly touched on the need for salary increases as she noted that many educators in Guyana feel that their salaries and allowances do not adequately reflect the magnitude of their contributions.
When asked if she shared the same thoughts on the preference of allowances as against increases, she concurred.
Essential step
Ali acknowledged the invaluable contribution of teachers to the development of Guyana while emphasising that improving the education system is a top priority for his administration and addressing the concerns of teachers is an essential step toward achieving this goal.
Several teachers shared their personal experiences and challenges faced in classrooms as it related to the heat.
On September 7, Stabroek News received a letter from a parent regarding the extreme heat in classrooms. The parent noted their children drenched in perspiration upon picking them up from school and enquired as to how they felt in the classrooms, only to be told about the dangerous heat conditions they face at school.
“I enquired how she was feeling and she said ‘Dad, the place is very hot and our classroom is extremely hot and it does not have any fans. I am barely able to focus in class.’ The following day my son complained of a headache from the heat. He echoed a similar complaint as his sister regarding the ventilation of his classroom. I am absolutely certain that many other children are experiencing similar difficulties.”
This newspaper had reached out to the Ministry of Education regarding this matter since early September, but no response was ever received to date.
Teachers have constantly stressed the need for proper ventilation and more windows in classrooms since Guyana’s tropical climate often results in classrooms becoming uncomfortably hot, especially during the scorching months of the dry season. The problem has been compounded by the mainly concrete structures that are going up.
This climatic challenge has been a persistent problem, impacting both teachers and students alike. Teachers passionately argued that addressing this issue is vital for both the well-being of students and the effectiveness of their teaching.
A teacher of St Rose’s High, a recently refurbished school, expressed her concerns, saying, “Working in this heat is not only physically draining but also emotionally draining. It impacts our ability to provide quality education to our students. We need proper ventilation and cooling systems in our schools to ensure a conducive learning environment.”
The need for the refurbishing of the hazards in schools and teachers’ dorms was also a main concern for some teachers.
A teacher of the New Silver City highlighted that since the Mahdia dormitory fire that claimed 20 lives, there has been a lot of consultations and visits to schools, however, to date nothing has been done to the school.
“The main building is a wooden one and within the classroom, there are a lot of live hanging wires. Firefighters came and checked extinguishers and they said they need replacing, but to date nothing was done”, the teacher said.
In this regard, President Ali noted that the government has transferred $1.5 billion to the Ministry of Education to fix these issues in the classrooms and teachers’ quarters and assured the teachers that the repairs will soon commence.
He further assured the teachers that their concerns will be looked at and discussed further with the relevant government officials. He pledged to work collaboratively with the Ministry of Education to address the issue of hot classrooms and explore possible solutions.
On the matter of allowances, the Head of State acknowledged that improving teachers’ financial well-being is essential for retaining and attracting quality educators.
He pledged to initiate a comprehensive review of teacher compensation to ensure that it aligns with their dedication and the importance of their role in shaping the nation’s future.
