Teachers in Guyana stage protest, condemn attack by students

Several teachers at a secondary school in Guyana on Tuesday staged a protest demanding “justice” after one of them was allegedly assaulted by several students and a parent.

The teachers, backed by the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) held placards indicating that they needed justice and the GTU called on the Ministry of Education to address violence against teachers.

GTU President, Mark Lyte, in a Facebook post, said no one had been charged with wounding the teacher on duty and no one from the Department of Education went to the school although that administrative office is located not far away.

“When the HM called the Department to inform that teachers are going to be protesting because they felt as though they were left on their own; nobody cares, nobody intervened to see how traumatized our teachers were but to be told that our teachers cannot protest,” he said.

The teachers with placards that read “We need justice”, “We need justice”, “I need justice”, Enough is enough” also claimed that “there is no discipline in schools anymore” and that “student violence against teachers has become a norm and that’s not okay.

“Teachers are not punching bags” and “No justice, no teaching,” the placards read, calling also for the student to be expelled as a result of the assault of on the teacher.

Police said a student was contacted and released into the care of his parents, and three adults were arrested. The teacher obtained a medical certificate and has since submitted that to the police.

The union claims that at least 12 teachers have been assaulted so far this year and that no action has been taken by the Ministry of Education.

CMC/