Member of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), Coretta McDonald, has promised the nation’s teachers more training opportunities, increased pay, and a genuine move to restore collective bargaining to union negotiations once her party is elected to government.
Speaking at a public meeting at Plaisance Line Top over the weekend, McDonald insisted that her party is committed to improving the state of education in the country, including the welfare of teachers. She said that APNU will not only construct school buildings but also ensure classrooms are conducive to learning, with manageable sizes to enable teachers to deliver effectively. She added that APNU will guarantee all teachers are fully trained before being placed in the field.
“We will train our teachers; ensure they complete the programme so that when they stand in front of the class they are well equipped to deliver to our children,” McDonald said.
She reiterated her party’s commitment to a 35 per cent salary increase for all teachers, noting that this is separate from whatever negotiations will be held with their union.
“We will reintegrate and reinvigorate and we will return collective bargaining to the table for every single union… We will show them what real governance is because every single union will be treated equally,” McDonald stated.
The GTU president told the gathering that an APNU government will not be concerned with simply making the education system look good, but rather with ensuring that it is effective and functioning well. She emphasised that her party is focused on the quality of service delivered nationwide.
