Dear Editor,
Mr Stanley Greaves’ letter captioned “I urge President Jagdeo to release this subvention” (07.12.09) is another reminder of the continued human rights violations and undermining of the authority of parliament that have become a facet of ‘normal’ life in Guyana.
Education is a human right. The Critchlow Labour College (CLC) by its establishment and mission is geared to ensure just that. The government’s action of refusing to release the CLC’s subvention when taxpayers fund (free) education makes the government a violator of a human right.
As a human right, education should be accessible to all. Critchlow’s students should not now be denied the right to an education that would be made possible through the release of State (taxpayers) funding. The receipt of a subvention dates back to the opening of the College in the 1960s and was a position supported by both the PNC and PPP led by Mr. Forbes Burnham and Dr. Cheddi Jagan. Critchlow has expanded over time and today runs an intensive secondary programme which offers children a second chance to write the CXC exams, in addition to other educational courses such as trade union education, and those that allow entry into university and the job market which ultimately equip students with the requisite knowledge to be the best they can be in their respective endeavour(s). This is a benefit that serves the nation and national development.
The fact that the 2007 National Budget passed by Parliament approved a subvention for the College means that the government cannot now refuse to disburse the subvention. To do this is to disregard the authority of Parliament, the highest decision-making forum of our land.
To deny the College its subvention is to deny some citizens’ their right to State resources in the pursuit of their right to an education.
The government argument about two trade union federations (GTUC and FITUG) has nothing to do with the College as an educational institution. Persons are not accepted into the institution based on political, labour, race, class, religion and other affiliations. The criterion for acceptance is a satisfaction of the basic educational requirements for the various courses and as such all Guyanese can benefit from a Critchlow education.
A public appeal is made to our Parliamentarians to use their political power to raise their voices and use their parliamentary influence and go to parliament and demand that the government conform to the mandate of parliament and uphold the rights of those students which are being violated.
This is a political issue of national importance and it requires political intervention to correct.
An appeal is also made to organisations such as the Guyana Human Rights Association, the Right of the Child, and the Trade Unions and individuals to call on the government and parliamentarians to resolve this problem immediately. Our children must not be the victims of adults’ petty behaviour.
Yours faithfully,
(name and address supplied)
