Is this a case of vanity or an abuse of power?
September 23, 2011 | By KNews Letters
Dear Editor,
Your newspaper recently highlighted some problems with the management of the education sector in East Berbice and the conduct of certain senior personnel associated there. It is necessary that I bring to your attention the behaviour of a top education official of that region in the hope that it will bring relief to those who suffer at her hands.
(a)Wednesdays are allocated for her to deal with teachers’ issues at her office, yet for no proper reason teachers are usually made to wait for hours before they are able to see her. This individual has been known to depart through the backdoor at the Department of Education while teachers are waiting to see her on important matters.
(b)Teachers who take documents to her office for signature are made to make unwarranted adjustments to their documents and return at a later date only to be told that more unwarranted changes have to be made.
She sometimes demands that attachments such as apologies and explanations related to past non-issues accompany documents, when there is no official requirement for such attachments at the level of the ministry.
Teachers have had to make several visits to her office over extended periods of time before getting their documents approved. She seems to derive some twisted pleasure from this. Teachers have been known to shed tears of frustration after receiving this treatment.
(c) Local literacy teachers and foreign volunteer teachers have had to endure long waiting periods before being paid their stipends and salaries. A few have had to return to their countries without having received what is owed them. This official has no regard for the fact that these people are volunteers and that they are doing public service (or humanitarian service in the case of the foreigners).
(d)This official is often unavailable to sign teachers’ applications or payment documents because she is at meetings out of the building or out of the region, with her staff ignorant as to her whereabouts and no access to files. It would seem that the business that she has to attend to has nothing to do with education.
(e)Much was made of the supposed conflict of interest involving Leon Suseran, but this officer’s chauffeur is a very, very close relative of hers. He drives her everywhere during working hours and waits on her, so he must be receiving a salary. That’s conflict of interest for you.
Many of her family members across the region are given extra special privileges to which they are not entitled
(f)This officer and her chauffeur are both routinely rude and disrespectful to teachers and others. She uses threats (not of violence) and he raises his voice.
There have been widespread complaints about this individual from teachers and others in the education sector but it would seem that she is untouchable because of her political connections. This theory is supported by the fact that the woman is many years past the age of retirement but still continues to be employed by the government while all of the other officers are sent elsewhere out of the region to live and work.
Her continued presence stifles her more capable and agreeable juniors and hinders their upward mobility. Some link her continued employment to certain tasks she performs outside of the educational framework. It is widely believed that she props up a certain top regional official who is academically challenged.
This woman needs to be sent home and replaced by a competent professional who does not abuse his/her power, respects people and is not in cahoots with politicians.
Nevertheless credit must be given where credit is due, and the worst of us have redeeming features.
This official’s most noteworthy redeeming quality is that she harasses all races equally. Of course the downside to this is that she is disliked equally by teachers of all races.
Yashmini Peetamber
COULD THE CLOSE RELATIVE CHAUFFAUR BE HER HUSBAND AND PROPS UP A CERTAIN REGIONAL OFFICIAL WHO IS ACADEMICALLY CHALLENGED ? DID THE RC GRADUATE FROM PRIMARY SCHOOL.
WHEN THINGS DONT WORK THEIR WAY, THEY TURN TO VICTIMISATION, INSTEAD OF FINDING A WAY TO WORK THINGS OUT.
September 23, 2011 | By KNews Letters
Dear Editor,
Your newspaper recently highlighted some problems with the management of the education sector in East Berbice and the conduct of certain senior personnel associated there. It is necessary that I bring to your attention the behaviour of a top education official of that region in the hope that it will bring relief to those who suffer at her hands.
(a)Wednesdays are allocated for her to deal with teachers’ issues at her office, yet for no proper reason teachers are usually made to wait for hours before they are able to see her. This individual has been known to depart through the backdoor at the Department of Education while teachers are waiting to see her on important matters.
(b)Teachers who take documents to her office for signature are made to make unwarranted adjustments to their documents and return at a later date only to be told that more unwarranted changes have to be made.
She sometimes demands that attachments such as apologies and explanations related to past non-issues accompany documents, when there is no official requirement for such attachments at the level of the ministry.
Teachers have had to make several visits to her office over extended periods of time before getting their documents approved. She seems to derive some twisted pleasure from this. Teachers have been known to shed tears of frustration after receiving this treatment.
(c) Local literacy teachers and foreign volunteer teachers have had to endure long waiting periods before being paid their stipends and salaries. A few have had to return to their countries without having received what is owed them. This official has no regard for the fact that these people are volunteers and that they are doing public service (or humanitarian service in the case of the foreigners).
(d)This official is often unavailable to sign teachers’ applications or payment documents because she is at meetings out of the building or out of the region, with her staff ignorant as to her whereabouts and no access to files. It would seem that the business that she has to attend to has nothing to do with education.
(e)Much was made of the supposed conflict of interest involving Leon Suseran, but this officer’s chauffeur is a very, very close relative of hers. He drives her everywhere during working hours and waits on her, so he must be receiving a salary. That’s conflict of interest for you.
Many of her family members across the region are given extra special privileges to which they are not entitled
(f)This officer and her chauffeur are both routinely rude and disrespectful to teachers and others. She uses threats (not of violence) and he raises his voice.
There have been widespread complaints about this individual from teachers and others in the education sector but it would seem that she is untouchable because of her political connections. This theory is supported by the fact that the woman is many years past the age of retirement but still continues to be employed by the government while all of the other officers are sent elsewhere out of the region to live and work.
Her continued presence stifles her more capable and agreeable juniors and hinders their upward mobility. Some link her continued employment to certain tasks she performs outside of the educational framework. It is widely believed that she props up a certain top regional official who is academically challenged.
This woman needs to be sent home and replaced by a competent professional who does not abuse his/her power, respects people and is not in cahoots with politicians.
Nevertheless credit must be given where credit is due, and the worst of us have redeeming features.
This official’s most noteworthy redeeming quality is that she harasses all races equally. Of course the downside to this is that she is disliked equally by teachers of all races.
Yashmini Peetamber
COULD THE CLOSE RELATIVE CHAUFFAUR BE HER HUSBAND AND PROPS UP A CERTAIN REGIONAL OFFICIAL WHO IS ACADEMICALLY CHALLENGED ? DID THE RC GRADUATE FROM PRIMARY SCHOOL.
WHEN THINGS DONT WORK THEIR WAY, THEY TURN TO VICTIMISATION, INSTEAD OF FINDING A WAY TO WORK THINGS OUT.