Is The University Of Guyana’s Administration Racist? A Different Perspective

Editor:
I wish to state, it is not only the University of Guyana (UG) as a National (State or Semi Autonomous) Institution where this (inequity) prevails.

However, I confine my discourse to the University of Guyana, for that is the focus of Miss Mohamed’s angst.

Until the advent of a flow of monies from oil, all the administrations in Guyana were forced to play a balancing act, as to how to maintain the necessary services to the people of Guyana. At no point in time was government able to pay workers a salary concomitant with the role they played in society, to allow them to live as their counterparts in most other societies, and those engaged in private enterprise in Guyana.

Even though oil is now a driver in our economic life, the wages and salaries offered at UG, is still below that offered in many other sectors of the economy. For comparisons, take an engineer, employed at any of the engineering firms in the country, or at Guysuco, and one employed to lecture at UG.

In addition to the poor wages offered by government, because of the lack of resources in a big way, what happened within the industrial climate there, was dependent on the vicissitudes of the government in power.

If one considers that in most societies, where there is discontent the voices of those in professional ranks would be among the most vociferous. They have the means to let their voices be heard, and this is what the Peoples National Congress (PNC), while in power in the early 70s, confronted, probably many of those employed then, were indeed there because of the usual kit and kin situation known to us. However because of their voices of discontent, there may have been a higher level of suppression of the emoluments for the workers there.

Note, the PNC did not interfere too much — save probably for the Walter Rodney affair — with the employment practices of the institution, but they suppressed salaries, so many Africans with anti-PNC views and opinions, were allowed to work there. The Indians simply sought more lucrative opportunities. This antagonism continued even after a change of government in ’92.

In fact, one can safely say, it increased as they were not only a group of loud mouths, but a group with a high concentration of Africans, who had to be thought a lesson by the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration.

The lesson that “we run things” was clear, throughout the 23 years of the PPP/C being in power. The following 5 years, between the PPP/C taking back the reigns of power, saw no real changes in the benefits flowing to the staff of UG, and we are here today.

As for the Indian student he and his family is fully aware of the situation of government antagonistic approach towards making UG a world class institution of learning, so he simply seeks his learning opportunities elsewhere.

In its run-up to the last elections, one is left to wonder why the PPP/C Manifesto plan for tertiary education focused on a plan to train our students online and at foreign universities , even in areas for which UG is equipped. In fact, if things were allowed to go, according to that Manifesto, UG would have been closing.

Sincerely,
Elton McRae