“Teachers are taxed,” was the statement of a teacher attached to Mathew’s Ridge Secondary School in Region One during a visit to the community by President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday.
She was raising the issue of a shortage of teachers at the school, which is a recurring problem at schools across the country.
Setbacks in promoting and hiring new teaching staff lie in the absence of an appointed and functioning Teaching Service Commission (TSC).
President Ali hopes that this shortage will be addressed in the New Year and he seemed set to move ahead with the stalled appointment of the TSC as early as next week.
Noting the understaffed condition, the President was told that there are currently just five teachers at the school.
“More teachers are needed in the primary and secondary arms of the school.
“We need more and we are taxed energetically and administratively,” the teacher noted.
President Ali said his government intends to address this issue and many other issues in the education sector.
He noted, however, that he was moving ahead with the process when the APNU+AFC Coalition opposition moved to court and stalled the appointment during a breakdown in consultations between the President and Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton.
“The delays with the appointment are because of the challenge by the opposition. They moved to court to block the appointment.
“Now I’m in a position…before the end of the year, the Teaching Service Commission will be appointed, so teachers’ appointments all across the country can move forward,” Dr. Ali said.
Last week, Dr. Ali said that one name is outstanding from the TSC.
“There’s a parliamentary process ongoing. As soon as I have all the names from the different processes, I’m very ready… I think there’s one outstanding name or something. I was hoping to wrap that up sometime this week. Still hoping… we’re almost in a position ready for the Teaching Service Commission,” President Ali is quoted in one section of the media as saying.
The President had hoped to make the appointment since July.
The Teaching Service Commission under the constitution of Guyana has the mandate to appoint, exercise disciplinary actions and remove teachers of non-board schools.
The last Teaching Service Commission had only completed the 2020 promotions of senior teaching staff.
