The Allied Arts Unit of the Ministry of Education has rejected a claim of vindictiveness by the GTU in the rejection of two pieces for the recent children’s Mashramani contest.
In a statement today, the unit said that it is committed to “upholding principles of excellence, respect, values, ethics, peace, harmony, and love which are standards integral to the education system”.
It said that it has taken note of a publication by the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) alleging vindictiveness by the ministry in a matter related to the National Children’s Mashramani Competition.
“The Allied Arts Unit emphasizes that decisions made are based on established rules that have been in place for many years, specifically focusing on the appropriateness of items in relation to age groups. Two items were rejected, and the respective schools were duly advised with transparent communication on the reasons behind the decisions.
“The Allied Arts Unit asserts its unwavering commitment to positions of respect, civility, values, ethics, morals, and standards. The focus is on ensuring that the content presented aligns with the age appropriateness stipulated by the rules set well in advance of the competition. It is crucial to highlight that the intention is not to censor satirical content but to maintain age-appropriate standards and to teach commence with rules in line with the longstanding principles upheld by individuals associated with the competition”, the release said.
In matters of compliance with competition rules, the unit emphasized that adherence is crucial as a teaching/learning process and also on the basis of fairness. If a piece is non-compliant, disqualification is a necessary step or an opportunity to rework the piece to ensure compliance with the regulations.
