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Kaieteur News
Universal Secondary Education likely under current Administration – Manickchand Although Guyana has achieved universal access to primary education, moves are steadily apace to ensure that 100 per cent access to secondary education is realised under the current G o v e r n m e n t a l Administration. Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, at a press conference yesterday said that as part of the Ministry’s projection, “we intend to achieve universal secondary education before the first term of the Donald Ramotar administration ends.” This by extension means, the Minister said, that students across the country who are of secondary age can access a general secondary education which translates to them being exposed to five years of the secondary curriculum. “We have practically achieved universal secondary education in many Regions (but) we have some more work to do in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine, and we have some work to do regarding general proficiency to secondary education on the Coastland,” the Minister divulged yesterday. She said that while infrastructure is not a challenge in many of the Regions, the Ministry will be tasked with addressing a transportation shortcoming. She said, “What we need to do is to provide transportation for children to get from point A to point B...We are working
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand consciously on this and I believe this is something I would be pleased to announce shortly that we have achieved.” And according to the Minister moves will continue in the New Year by the Education Ministry to improve the pass rates at the secondary level, particularly in the areas of Mathematics and English. This strategic venture is intended to help students to matriculate, Manickchand said. The Ministry has been able to secure the services of two Mathematics Specialists – at the level of a Senior Education Officer in the Secondary Sector and another at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development. The Minister said that efforts have been made by the Ministry to collaborate with the World Bank to introduce some new measures to make learning Mathematics accessible and interesting. The Education Ministry, during the past year, had been looking to improve its delivery
of education. According to Manickchand, countries across the world have been discussing access to education and ensuring that children are placed in classrooms. Efforts in this regard, she disclosed, has allowed Guyana to achieve universal primary education thereby allowing all children in the primary-age cohort to access an education. But although the uphill task of getting children into the classrooms has been achieved here, Manickchand said, “We have to make sure that the learning is of a high quality, that the teaching is of a high quality. That is something that we have to collaborate with the teachers on; we have to ensure better monitoring and this is something that we (countries across the world) are struggling with to accomplish.” The Minister underscored that the global debate has shifted from merely access to education to that of the quality of education. “Guyana is thankfully poised to discuss and pursue quality because we have achieved access,” she said. Manickchand disclosed yesterday that the Education Ministry is looking to ensure that quality education is delivered in environments conducive to learning which she said will see the Ministry working towards bringing a halt to furniture woes for instance. In this regard, she said, “We are hoping that we will be able to provide for every single school all the furniture that is needed in nursery, secondary and primary as well as all of the furniture needed for teachers.”
Tuesday December 31, 2013
GTUC has qualms over PPP’s statement on Trade Unions The Guyana Trade Union Congress has expressed dissatisfaction with the statement made by the PPP (People’s Progressive Party) when it was addressing its non support for the United States Leadership and Democracy Project. The part with which the GTUC has concerns reads, “Guyana has turned full circle to the extent that the country has returned to the days of the mid 1960’s when the AFLCIO funded opposition Trade Unions and political parties to destabilise the Jagan-led PPP Government during the 1962-1964 period.” The GTUC has expressed reservations over the statement citing the link between the trade unions during the 1960’s and the PPP losing governance. The body established that during that period their concerns with the PPP was that of the “Labour Relations Bill which was seen as an act to control and silence the voice of organised labour” and their “refusal to cordially address the Civil Service Association’s demand for increase wages and salaries.” The GTUC said, “The trade unions, political opposition (UF and PNC), business sector, and sections of civil society were at the odds with the PPP’s stewardship and these groups were not silent in their disapproval. “The needs of the people remain and it is the job of every government to pay heed. It was the PPP’s intransigencies that resulted in its 1964 loss of government. The party was removed from office via the ballot, making mute its’ claim of destabilisation or removal by force. Guyana never had a coup.” It is the contention of the GTUC that for the PPP to make such a statement it means the party has not learned from its mistakes nor has it learnt from the mistakes of others throughout history. “The world remembers the 2000 U.S. presidential election that Democrat Al Gore conceded
President of the GTUC Leslie Gonsalves to Republican George Bush in an election generally considered compromised but the affected political party and nation has moved past the experience, learning from same through institutional strengthening and voters’ education. “Nelson Mandela was denied his freedom for 27 years but even before his release from prison he began working with his oppressors to positively change the trajectory of South Africa,” said the GTUC. According to the GTUC In competitive political party politics, government change and interchange all the time. “The PPP, like all parties, has no birthright to govern. Lest it be unknown, forgotten or misunderstood, it is the people who determine the reign of government and not a political party who determines its reign over the people. “When the people had enough they will remove the incumbent and this goes for every government. The PPP must understand Article 9 of the Guyana Constitution that stipulates ‘sovereignty belongs to the people’ is meant to undergird the principle that the nation’s political authority is vested in its people.” The trade union body articulated that presently this nation is “besieged with corruption and corrupt officials but the government continues to fail to take action in spite of the preponderance
of evidence before its eyes and in the U.S’ courts.” “Today the basic right to freedom of expression, ideas and sharing of information is challenged as the PPP seeks to dominate every public space by giving away the broadcasting spectrum to their cronies; denying alternative view and the right to response in state media; denying Linden; imposing exorbitant license fees to still/ weaken the voice of the small man, a matter engaging the Court’s attention; and withholding government/ taxpayers’ advertisements, forcing sections of the media to comply with their wicked policies or turn a blind eye,” said GTUC The GTUC pronounced that the Local government authority continues to be undermined, because of the obsessive nature of the PPP to dominate every political space. The body said that collective bargaining is trampled for some “as members of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) and Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union (GB&GWU) continue to battle a government steep in creating bogeymen and settling imaginary scores.” “The PPP must take responsibility for its intransigencies, past and present, and come to the realization what good governance is all about. Being elected is a privilege, not a right. This privilege must see respect for all the people and adherence to the principles (Rights & Rule of Law) that ensure this,” said the GTUC. The GTUC has announced that all major political parties, including the PPP, benefitted from trade unions’ support and advocacy, in and out of opposition and according to the union body “the role of progressive labour in any society is to protect workers (past, present and potential) and create an environment of fairness. Any attempt that threatens this will meet the appropriate response.”