Senior teachers were locked out of the Berbice Educational Institute yesterday when they visited to sort incoming Grade 10 students into their respective streams.
The lockout was as a result of the Ministry of Education policy restricting access to teachers who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they can show proof of a negative PCR test result.
As a result, a group of teachers subsequently held a peaceful protest outside of the school. One teacher explained, “The senior staff came this morning to conduct an important exercise—streaming of the Grade 9 students, who will be in Grade 10 and when we came this morning we were locked out of the compound.”
The senior teacher stressed, “We are here willing to work but we were locked out and to crown it off the school has no children inside and we were still locked out of the compound.”
Secondary schools have not yet restarted face-to-face learning around the country as the vaccination of children 12 and older is still ongoing.
The teacher appealed to President Irfaan Ali, Regional Chairman, David Armogan and Regional Education Officer Bhagmatie La Cruz to look into the matter, noting, “We are here willing to work.”
She noted that while she herself is fully vaccinated, she opted to stand with those locked out since she believes that they have a right to decide whether they want to take a COVID-19 vaccine or not.
Another teacher said that he found it extremely troubling that they are not being allowed to enter the school to carry out the necessary works, which will in turn affect the students. He argued that the CSEC examination will be a standard test set whether the students cover the class work or not and if they are to fail then they would have lost 16 years of their lives. “I would never see none of my teachers locked outside. We as teachers mold this nation and we stand together,” he stressed.
