Why weren’t teachers and other public servants given the bonus?

Dear Editor,

A few days ago I read in the print media that members of the Guyana Defence Force will be getting a year end holiday bonus for 2008. While I am happy that the government has decided to provide some additional relief for our military families, I am wondering what was the government’s rationale for not extending the same kind of relief to other public servants.
Why weren’t teachers, nurses and those hard working employees within the Ministries etc, not given a bonus to help these families through this economically daunting holiday period? Is it the view of the President and the government that the other public servants did not perform well or that these employees face no economic challenges? Maybe if the government shares with the nation its rationale for the Military payout Guyanese will have an idea as to why other public servants are not considered for a similar payout and they will be able to, also, determine whether the government’s action is justified in the current situation. This will also reduce the sneaking suspicion many have for the payout. Yes, the growing suspicion that the soldiers were consider for this payout because of some underlying sinister ulterior motive on the part of the administration is likely to dissipate. It would therefore, be prudent for the government to clearly explain to other public servants why they are left out of the year end bonus. Simple acts of transparency and disclosures like these are likely to foster good citizen/government relationship, but to leave such important issues open to all kinds of interpretation and guesses will only widen the rift between the citizenry and the government.

On the issue of the teachers and nurses, it is no secret that these two categories of professionals have been exiting the shores of the nation as soon as the opportunity arises. I believe that it would be a prudent thing to provide some kind of incentive to attract these professionals to stay and contribute to the development of the nation. Providing them a bonus package, at this time, would have been a welcome initiative.

Only last August (2008), I walked into what can be described as an unplanned teachers reunion at the Timehri Airport. On that interesting day I met almost twenty one teachers who were either returning to their teaching post in various parts of the Caribbean or leaving for the first time to take up new teaching positions in countries including: the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Antigua, and St. Lucia. These teachers, many of whom I worked with, or attended Teachers’ Training College, or university with, were either Head teachers, Deputy Head teachers, Senior Masters/ Mistresses, Heads of Departments, or Assistant Mistresses, and most of whom had more than ten years experience in the profession.

If the government continues to ignore the negative impact the exodus of teachers from the Guyana Education System continues to have on the nation, teachers will continue to leave Guyana at the first opportunity, a reality that many of them are not proud of, but for the need to experience a reasonable standard of living and to provide for their families.

For too long the government has shown scant regard for the concerns of our hard working teachers and this I believe is partly responsible for the growing enthusiasm on the part of these professionals to leave at the first opportunity.

Teachers, today, still talk of the remark made by then Minister of Education Henry Jeffrey who when asked about the exodus of teachers out of the local education system remarked that, we will train more, when they go.
This is a comment which has never been retracted, in fact, almost a month ago a similar ill advised comment was made by the current Minister of Education, Sheik Baskh. From these comments it is clear that the government does not recognize the connection between an education system depleted of skilled personnel and negative social behaviour on the part of our youth, coupled with poor academic achievement.

I am aware that many teachers, nurses and other public servants are concerned over the fact that no bonus pay has been announced for them, I therefore call on the goodly Minister of Public Service, the Hon. Dr. Jennifer Westford, to seek cabinet approval to have other hard working members of the Public sectors receive a bonus package, like their military counterparts, at the end of the year. I know these workers will appreciate this package during these tough economic times.

I know Dr. Westford and I may embrace different political ideologies and share different political views, but I believe that we have a common interest to do what is humane and right for those hard working public servants, who continue to commit every day to the development of the state.

I wish us all a God filled holiday season, and wish to thank all public servants for their continued commitment to the development of a country that we all love. I respect you and trust that 2009 will be a better year for all of us.

Yours faithfully,
Lurlene Nestor