Ms. Flue-Bess, Member of Parliament, underscored today the tremendous sacrifices made by educators to ensure the success of their pupils. Among the sacrifices mentioned was the fact that teachers usually stay up late marking SBAs to be submitted to CXC to ensure students get the best possible results. In an interview with the Guyana Economist, she asserted that teachers’ rights must be respected by providing good working conditions and better wages.
When asked about the impact of the time lost during the demonstration, Ms. Flue-Bess guaranteed that the teachers would make up for it. Furthermore, she added that the CXC is a two-year program and that students preparing for CXC would have already gotten at least one year’s worth of education, and that this period is for “practice” and the only thing students are lacking currently is “extra practice”.
Ms. Flue-Bess expressed that the support shown by teachers across the nation is “heartening”, underscoring that this has been one of the largest turnouts of teachers in support of a GTU strike. According to her, several parents and students have continued to show their support towards the striking teachers, by delivering water, and juices, sending encouraging messages and joining the protest.
She also urged the Ministry of Education to do the right thing by meeting with the GTU and address the challenges confronting teachers, as this would allow them to return to the classrooms and serve the nation’s children.