Dear Editor,
For almost 20 years I have been a teacher at the Secondary Level with unbroken services and a Part-Time Lecturer at Cyril Potter College of Education, Vreed-en-Hoop Centre over a decade. Being in such employ has afforded me the opportunity and experience to teach, motivate, inspire and love children and teachers of all walks of life.
During my Primary and Secondary years at Wales Primary, St. Agnes Primary and President’s College respectively, my teachers have done the same as I am doing for my learners. The qualities from which I have benefitted are invaluable, yes priceless. I wish to publicly thank all my teachers.
As I journeyed on to my University years, I realized the value of the non-academic lessons that I benefited from in my younger years have definitely helped to shape and fashion me into a selfless person I have become.
Mr. Editor many of those lessons were taught through the Hidden Curriculum. While at Cyril Potter College of Education as a trainee teacher, I was taught the importance of embracing both the curricular and co-curricular activities. Emphasis was placed on being good role models for students whether in the classroom or out of it.
These opportunities, at the least were and are available to every person who attend schools in Guyana. Sadly, these core values taught in our earlier years seem to be taken for granted or ignored by some prominent individuals in our country, therefore they seem not to care that their reactions to situations and circumstances are affecting others and especially our children who are observing and absorbing.
Disrespect
As teachers and parents we try our utmost to teach our children respect. Respect for self, others and to obey rules. Sadly, our efforts are being challenged by persons who are identified as leaders in our country. I deliberately zoomed into the disrespect for laws of Guyana during the March 2, elections period.
Leading up to March 2, election campaigns, the contents were laced with disrespectful slangs by both presenters and crowd. Polling day Staff, Deputy Returning Officers, Returning Officers and other GECOM staff took oaths, which bound them to obey the laws set out in the constitution of our land. Yet some colluded with political parties to give them an unfair advantage by allegedly attempting to manipulate the process. DISRESPECT!!!!!
In addition, on election day, party members were allegedly issuing ID cards to their supporters for persons who either died or did not reside in Guyana. Some persons were allegedly given the names and serial numbers of persons on the voters list who chose not to vote or are unable to vote for unknown reasons.
Whether the polling day staff was vigilant or not, an attempt to vote for others if unauthorized to do so, is not only dishonest but a blatant disrespect for the laws. In some cases, it has been alleged that unauthorised individuals attempted to remove ballot boxes. DIRESPECT!!!!!
After March 2, there were seemingly deliberate attempts to disrupt the smooth flow of tabulating, verifying and declaring of election results. “While Nero fiddled, Rome burnt” the whole country was waiting, children, parents, grandparents, people with health issues, the intellectuals, the elites, the impoverished and the rest of the world, while the brilliant minds in the judicial system played their games of chess. They played every move, the country was tense, in the meantime social media was set on fire of racism and hatred and blatant disrespect for leaders. Persons even made comments about killing the president, poisoning the greens to kill ‘black’ people, children were hurt in the process, while the game of chess continued. DISRESPECT!!!!!!
Observers who were expected to be people of integrity, blatantly showed their affiliation with political parties, while the oaths they took prohibit such. DISRESPECT!!!!!!
Even after Region 4 votes were counted and recounted, the declaration of the results was blocked, as the game of chess became more intense.
We are now awaiting the declaration of results which may take another 25 -30 days simply because of judicial flirts who wish to demonstrate their brilliance or lack thereof while the world is being entertained. One of the more recent disrespect is where the returning Officer of Region 1 refused to turn in the polling books to his employer. More disrespect will be unearthed. DISRESPECT!!!!!
When adults flout the laws of the country, how do we expect our children to follow them? Why should we expect them to follow them? Why should we be upset if they don’t follow them? In the above mentioned concerns, all the participants were adults. Persons who were nurtured, bred and educated in this system. There is no part in any curriculum which teaches persons to be disrespectful to the laws of the land. NO, NOT ONE PART.
We teach disrespect not only by what we say but through our actions also. When we choose to get on the radio, television and any other medium of public communication and disseminate greed, selfishness, hate, racism and prejudice from a status of great influence, we teach a nation, even a world to be disrespectful.
The pandemic period which creeped upon us, simply because we were distracted by Guyana’s chess games, will be around longer than we expect. WHY? Because we have consumed ourselves in a mode of disrespect. Simple sanitization rules and social distancing instructions we have a difficulty obeying and respecting. This blatant disregard and disobedience have already begun to rob our country of its human resources. The disturbing thing is that innocent persons may die or either become ill due to the virus because of individuals who have become accustomed to flouting rules.
However, it is not too late for Guyana to make a paradigm shift. I call on all concerned to deliberately make the effort to reshape our way of thinking, be selfless, teach the children to be respectful, tolerant, caring and honest. Teach them the positive values of life.
If everyone becomes respectful, there will be a smooth flow of everything.
In conclusion, God is watching us. When we disrespect others, we automatically disrespect God. When we disrespect the orphans and the widows or lead people into suffering, there is a consequence; a consequence which no human can reverse.
I implore you to be respectful.
Best Regards,
Raelene Cadogan
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_09_05_2020