Dear Editor,
We’re a nation where we always talk about being patriotic and call for the show of love to one’s country this ‘Dear Land of Guyana’, but miss every real opportunity that presents itself to express this.
It is nothing short of a national embarrassment that the media, particularly the State Broadcaster (National Communications Network Inc) did not carry live, the 50th Convocation as well as the 15th Convocation of the Turkeyen and Tain Campuses respectively of the University of Guyana (UG).
Momentous gatherings as these, treasured in the history books in years to come but with nothing much to remember due to their down-low coverage and ignored behaviours by much of the media will not do us any better as a nation striving for excellence. I remember NCN use to carry the live broadcast of the Turkeyen Graduation a few years ago.
What happened this year? It’s a shame and disgrace that this entity still cannot fine-tune its outdoor operations yet can continue to have the most lewd music being aired on its 98.1 FM station, with little or no relevance whatsoever to educate this nation or to send any positive message. As for the Chronicle, the State’s Newspaper, perhaps an edition specifically to focus on the Convocation of each campus should suffice.
The University of Guyana is our own treasured university, with a long and rich history of struggles as well as achievements.
Finally, why weren’t the officials from the Ministry of Education present at both Convocations? I know the Minister of Education was at Turkeyen but where was the Chief Education Officer, Regional Education Officers, Principals of the Cyril Potter College of Education, Technical Institutes and other lower- tertiary institutions of learning.
This ‘disconnect’ of UG and the Ministry of Education continues whereby the two entities are still not working together for the benefit of the country. And it showed in the Convocations by them not attending in full.
We still have UG timetabling our teachers to be away from school for days at a time, missing out on teaching in the classrooms, causing children to suffer immensely.
This problem has gotten worse over the past few months, whereby some teachers are only present in school for two days in the work- week.
But I wish to emphasise the importance of broadcasting our Convocations of this university or any activity for that matter, that comes from UG. UG must regain that prestige it deserves on our national stage, we cannot afford anything less! And the Honourable Prime Minister, Mr Moses Nagamootoo a man who has the media and journalism near and dear to his heart was present at the Berbice Convocation. I would urge him to rectify this oversight and blunder by NCN and for them to cover next year’s proceedings, live, at both campuses.
I saw the NCN Berbice cameraman at the Berbice Convocation so I am expecting to see the rich programme in its entirety on the Berbice sub-station.
Yours faithfully,
Leon Suseran
