This Education Officer has waged war against me
SEPTEMBER 10, 2011 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER LETTERS
Dear Editor,
I must let the public know what is once again happening to me because of speaking out against wrongdoing in Region Six. The Region Six Education Officer has waged an all- out war against me for exposing the shortage of furniture in Berbice schools through an article that was published in the Kaieteur News on Tuesday, September 6, 2011. Along with the article, there was published photographic evidence of furniture shortage, at the school where I teach.
During that day, I received several anonymous reports from parents who were very angry about the situation at three other secondary schools in New Amsterdam. After compiling a report later that afternoon and contacting the officer for her comments, I caused to have the article published in the Tuesday edition. That sparked rage in the individual, who summoned three head teachers to her office along with sections of the media, including a TV station where her sister is the Editor.
Those head teachers were asked to say to the media that my article was erroneous and inaccurate (even though a photo of furniture shortage was supplied). The head teachers present at the meeting (at least two of them) turned their attention away from the issue and started to repeat my name to the media, calling me “unscrupulous” and such. They said that their schools had no shortage of furniture. Well, I understand their jobs were at stake and that they had to do what they did, but I wondered how they were able to look their staff in the eye after they would have returned to their schools (knowing full well that their schools indeed needed furniture but that they said the opposite just to please this individual).
Mr. Editor, all this officer had to do was to admit that there was a problem with furniture distribution to schools on the first day, and acknowledge that the photograph was credible. Instead, she has launched an attack on me, by making it her duty now to get rid of me. She wants to muzzle press freedom and silence me and influence what I do after I leave school daily. My job as a freelance reporter for KN begins after my job with the Ministry of Education ends at 2:30pm and, after nearly a year of me being KN’s freelance Berbice reporter, this education officer is only now seeing this as a problem and wants to get rid of me.
I am a perceived threat in this part of Guyana, a big threat, not only to her, but to other persons who have vested interests in this Region. She said that she has forwarded the article to the Ministry of Education and Teaching Service Commission and lawyers as well. Perhaps they are planning to take me to court. But I have news for her. I will not sit idly by and allow injustice to take place. This officer is looking for loopholes to get at me. She telephoned my school on Tuesday morning and the first thing she asked my head teacher was to check all my records, including my Notes of Lessons.
But I have all my stuff in order. I am a very good teacher to the children in whom my care is entrusted and I know good sense will prevail at the end of all of this. I have sought over the years to further my academic and professional qualifications by becoming trained and am now in the final phase of studies at the University of Guyana. I am also in the final phase of the MOE’s Management Course. My work with the Kaieteur News does not, I repeat, does not interfere with my duties as a teacher, but if this officer wants to prove it in a court of law, then we can do it her way.
She allegedly told the media, too that she spoke with me and gave me a choice, to work for KN or to teach with the government. Let me say this, she never spoke those words to me. Many teachers in Region Six have been oppressed and intimidated by this individual. Every single day I listen to stories of how teachers have been suffering just because this individual has held back their salaries, spoken to them harshly, or just was plain mean and rude to them. It is time that this season of oppression comes to an end.
Furniture to schools was supposed to be delivered during the holidays. Why were there problems on the first day of school? This should not have happened if this education officer and her cabal of officers were serious about their jobs. I urge the Honorable Minister of Education to seriously understand the entire context of what is happening here. The results are there for the entire Guyana and Berbice to see. The teachers of Berbice are fully behind me, but they, too are afraid to come out and say it openly lest they suffer the same fate as I am facing now.
It was because I have the best interest of my children at heart that I tried to get the public’s attention of furniture shortage at the Vryman’s Erven Secondary School. What is so wrong about that, officer? But I know what this is all about. This person has an image to project to the public and she just would not accept that she and her office could have delivered some more furniture to schools in a timelier manner before school had reopened.
How then can we challenge our leaders and superiors without them not retaliating with vengeance and victimization? Am I missing something here? Isn’t this what democracy is all about?
Leon Suseran
Assistant Master, (HOD) ag,
Vryman’s Erven Secondary
Source
SEPTEMBER 10, 2011 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER LETTERS
Dear Editor,
I must let the public know what is once again happening to me because of speaking out against wrongdoing in Region Six. The Region Six Education Officer has waged an all- out war against me for exposing the shortage of furniture in Berbice schools through an article that was published in the Kaieteur News on Tuesday, September 6, 2011. Along with the article, there was published photographic evidence of furniture shortage, at the school where I teach.
During that day, I received several anonymous reports from parents who were very angry about the situation at three other secondary schools in New Amsterdam. After compiling a report later that afternoon and contacting the officer for her comments, I caused to have the article published in the Tuesday edition. That sparked rage in the individual, who summoned three head teachers to her office along with sections of the media, including a TV station where her sister is the Editor.
Those head teachers were asked to say to the media that my article was erroneous and inaccurate (even though a photo of furniture shortage was supplied). The head teachers present at the meeting (at least two of them) turned their attention away from the issue and started to repeat my name to the media, calling me “unscrupulous” and such. They said that their schools had no shortage of furniture. Well, I understand their jobs were at stake and that they had to do what they did, but I wondered how they were able to look their staff in the eye after they would have returned to their schools (knowing full well that their schools indeed needed furniture but that they said the opposite just to please this individual).
Mr. Editor, all this officer had to do was to admit that there was a problem with furniture distribution to schools on the first day, and acknowledge that the photograph was credible. Instead, she has launched an attack on me, by making it her duty now to get rid of me. She wants to muzzle press freedom and silence me and influence what I do after I leave school daily. My job as a freelance reporter for KN begins after my job with the Ministry of Education ends at 2:30pm and, after nearly a year of me being KN’s freelance Berbice reporter, this education officer is only now seeing this as a problem and wants to get rid of me.
I am a perceived threat in this part of Guyana, a big threat, not only to her, but to other persons who have vested interests in this Region. She said that she has forwarded the article to the Ministry of Education and Teaching Service Commission and lawyers as well. Perhaps they are planning to take me to court. But I have news for her. I will not sit idly by and allow injustice to take place. This officer is looking for loopholes to get at me. She telephoned my school on Tuesday morning and the first thing she asked my head teacher was to check all my records, including my Notes of Lessons.
But I have all my stuff in order. I am a very good teacher to the children in whom my care is entrusted and I know good sense will prevail at the end of all of this. I have sought over the years to further my academic and professional qualifications by becoming trained and am now in the final phase of studies at the University of Guyana. I am also in the final phase of the MOE’s Management Course. My work with the Kaieteur News does not, I repeat, does not interfere with my duties as a teacher, but if this officer wants to prove it in a court of law, then we can do it her way.
She allegedly told the media, too that she spoke with me and gave me a choice, to work for KN or to teach with the government. Let me say this, she never spoke those words to me. Many teachers in Region Six have been oppressed and intimidated by this individual. Every single day I listen to stories of how teachers have been suffering just because this individual has held back their salaries, spoken to them harshly, or just was plain mean and rude to them. It is time that this season of oppression comes to an end.
Furniture to schools was supposed to be delivered during the holidays. Why were there problems on the first day of school? This should not have happened if this education officer and her cabal of officers were serious about their jobs. I urge the Honorable Minister of Education to seriously understand the entire context of what is happening here. The results are there for the entire Guyana and Berbice to see. The teachers of Berbice are fully behind me, but they, too are afraid to come out and say it openly lest they suffer the same fate as I am facing now.
It was because I have the best interest of my children at heart that I tried to get the public’s attention of furniture shortage at the Vryman’s Erven Secondary School. What is so wrong about that, officer? But I know what this is all about. This person has an image to project to the public and she just would not accept that she and her office could have delivered some more furniture to schools in a timelier manner before school had reopened.
How then can we challenge our leaders and superiors without them not retaliating with vengeance and victimization? Am I missing something here? Isn’t this what democracy is all about?
Leon Suseran
Assistant Master, (HOD) ag,
Vryman’s Erven Secondary
Source
@Cde Bookman and Nehru
