| Access to needful upgrading and training programmes were highlighted among some of the protracted challenges that teachers within the public education system are faced with. These, among other issues, were ventilated during a recently concluded Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) spearheaded seminar in Kwakwani, Region 10.The two-week long seminar (July 13-24,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, 2015), which was held in collaboration with the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF), was convened at the Kwakwani Secondary School. The event was one intended to expose teachers to training aimed at enhancing their teaching ability.Even as he described the seminar, which saw the attendance of just under 100 teachers from within Region 10, as a “tremendous success”, GTU President, Mark Lyte, disclosed that the consensus among the teachers was that they are not afforded access to upgrading programmes, mainly because of their locations.Added to this,Cheap China Jerseys, Lyte said that the delivery of education in some sections of Region 10 is impacted by a high staff turnover rate. This situation, the GTU President said, has been linked to appalling living and working conditions that some teachers are forced to operate in.GTU President, Mark LyteAccording to the GTU President, some teachers tasked with delivering lessons in the Kwakwani area are drawn from Linden. These teachers are accommodated at a hostel, but according to Lyte, based on the complaints of teachers this facility is in need of improvement works.In offering details of deplorable conditions that teachers have complained of, he stressed that “inoperable washrooms, lack of running water, broken stairways, leaking roof, and unfinished facilities” are among the evident concerns that are not conducive to the effective and efficient operation of teachers.As if this is not bad enough, Lyte said that some new teachers are denied the timely payment of their salaries. In some instances, he disclosed that teachers have had to wait close to eight months before they are paid. This compounds the high food price situation teachers are already faced with, the GTU President observed.Another challenge to the delivery of education that was raised at the forum, Lyte said, was that of transportation. He noted that while President Granger has sought to have a similar challenge addressed for the hinterland areas, the GTU President noted that “we also believe that within the (Berbice) riverain areas,Camiseta Fc Barcelona 2019, something has to be put in place…so that teachers and children can easily get to and from their schools too.”While a number of teachers who attended the seminar are tasked with teaching multi-grade schools – that is, they are required to teach multiple grades at a time – a number of them are however not trained to do so. As such it was recommended that more teachers be dispatched to schools in Region 10 areas in order to reduce the merging of grades.But aside from the several complaints raised,NFL Jerseys Authentic China, teachers at the seminar were enlightened about several measures that would help to enhance their delivery of education.This saw the facilitators sharing how they could create teaching aids using local materials such as styrofoam, cardboard and even plastic bottles.According to Lyte, GTU has over the years been collaborating with CTF to help enhance the quality of teachers. While various hinterland communities are usually the target, he said that teachers in the Kwakwani area and those within proximity were identified for training this year.Teachers who hail from the riverain locations were accommodated at the Kwakwani Secondary school dormitory. Training sessions were facilitated by six CTF tutors from Canada with the support of local co-tutors drawn from the GTU.Last year the workshop, which was held in Region Nine,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, attracted more than 140 teachers. “This programme is intended to serve the teachers who may not otherwise get the opportunity to access CPCE (Cyril Potter College of Education) programmes. In many of those areas (hinterland) there are untrained teachers who are therefore less qualified than teachers on the coastland,” Lyte explained.While many years ago teachers were given credit for participating in programmes, thereby allowing them to be afforded an upgraded status, Lyte noted that that is no longer a feature that is endorsed by the Ministry of Education.“We are hoping that somewhere along the line the Ministry will again see that as important, as they (such programmes) can serve to enhance teachers and their efficiency in terms of the teaching/learning process,” Lyte added.Focus at the workshop was also placed on the subject areas of Mathematics, English,Wholesale Jerseys Authentic, Guidance and Counselling, among others, said Lyte. “These are all areas that we feel are of importance to our teachers.”According to Lyte, support from the Ministry of Education towards this cause has usually been in the form of regional contributions such as transportation and permission to utilise schools and dormitories. |
