Way cleared for appointment, promotion of teachers

Last Updated on Friday, 30 December 2022, 15:39 by Denis Chabrol

After months of delay, new members of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) were Friday sworn in  by President Irfaan Ali who underscored the importance of appointing teachers based on merit and taking disciplinary action based on fairness.

“If our children are to benefit from a high quality  education, then Such appointments and promotions must be based on merit and devoid of favouritism, cronyism or nepotism. It is equally essential that disciplinary actions against teachers be judicious, fair and in conformity with due process,” he said at the swearing in ceremony.

The new TSC members are Maydha Persaud,  Doodmattie Singh, Chief Education Officer Saddam Hussain, Joan Monkhouse,
Shafiran Bhajan, Avril Crawford and Sattie Jaiserriesingh.  Mr Persaud is a retired Principal of the Abraham Zuil Secondary School,  Ms Jaiserriesingh is  a former Education Officer, Ms Bhajan is a former Region Six Education Officer, Ms Monkhouse is a former District Education Officer, and Ms Crawford is a retired educator and former General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU).

Ms Crawford and Ms Jaiserriesingh are to take their oaths of office at a later date.

Noting that teachers are expected to play a defining role in the fashioning of responsible citizenship, he said there was need for “great care and attention” be taken in appointing teachers. “Given the defining role, which teachers are expected to play in society, it is necessary that great care and attention be taken in making appointments to the teaching profession.” He said there was no room for unsuitable persons to become teachers. “Placing ill-qualified and ill-suited persons to educate our children can be disastrous to our children’s future and the human resource development of the country,” he said.

The President said the TSC is not subject to political direction.

Among those attending the swearing in ceremony was the GTU President Mark Lyte.