GAMBIA TEACHERS' UNION CLARIFIES ITS POSITION ON THE CODES OF CONDUCT
The Gambia Teachers' Union has responded to a letter by FOROYAA on the Codes
of Conduct reportedly drawn by the Conference of Principals of Junior and
Senior Secondary Schools and The Gambia Teachers' Union.
The letter was addressed to the President, the Secretary of State for
Education, The Gambia Teachers' Union and the Conferences of Principals of
Junior and Senior Secondary School.
In the letter, we expressed concern on the arbitrariness shown in the
formulation of the Codes; that the direction is to cultivate the embryo of a
fascist State within the school system. We cautioned that a mature and
democratically-minded leadership would not transfer the crisis of the
Executive into the school system; that the principals and
headmasters/headmistresses must not be seen as the mere gendarmes of the
regime within the school system.
In response, the GTU wrote the following reply:
Refer to your open letter addressed to the Teachers' Union captioned "THE
NEED TO TAKE TWO STEPS FORWARD INSTEAD OF ONE STEP BACKWARDS", the Gambia
Teachers' Union (GTU) National Executive Committee (NEC) wishes to make
certain clarifications and also clearly state its position vis-a-vis the
Code of Conduct for Gambian Schools. GTU wishes to first make these
clarifications:-
I. The GTU NEC has never been part of the committee that prepared the Code
of Conduct for students. What is true is that GTU sent a representative to
the Meeting of Principals and Officials of the Department of State for
Education on the 17 April 2000 and at a subsequent meeting of the same group
at State House on the 18th April 2000 at which resolutions were presented
and discussed. GTU insisted having a representative at these meetings
because as the Parent body of teachers it must take interest in matters that
affect students who are supposed to be under the care of teachers. This was
GTU's involvement at that level and we are convinced that the action was
apt.
II. A Committee of Principals of Schools was set and charged with the task
to draft a Code of Conduct. The GTU was not represented on this Committee.
The GTU member who attended this meeting wore a Principal's Cap and this
should not in anyway imply that the Executive Committee of the GTU was part
of the draft. It must be made clear that the Committee was also asked to
draft a Code for Teachers, an exercise which is yet to be done. What GTU
did, was to access this working Committee a draft Code for teachers (which
had still not been finalised but pending review) as a working document as
requested by the Committee. Here too, GTU was interested in having an input
in a Code that was to guide its membership.
III. GTU certainly allowed the Working Committee access to its conference
room at GTU Headquarters. The Committee Members are teachers and indeed
members of the Union thus giving them right to use the facility. This was
GTU's involvement as regarding this issue.
Secondly, notwithstanding the misinformation, GTU cannot be insensitive to
the issue at stake and wishes to make its position clear. We appreciate
FOROYAA's observations otherwise GTU could have been slaughtered in the dark
unknowingly. Whatever degree of involvement on the part of GTU, it was based
on an interest and concern for peace, tranquillity and justice. This
position has been made clear in the GTU Press Release of April 18, 2000 on
the Student Demonstrations. Consequently, this Organisation cannot see
itself taking a step backwards.
As teachers, we are and indeed are expected to be interested in students'
welfare. Certainly we cannot allow ourselves to be less motivated by noble
visions and missions. This can be testified by the fact that teachers have
been offering their services relentlessly in the interest of Gambian
children in spite of the fact that they are faced with frustrations and
indeed poor conditions of work. Certainly we are alarmed that teachers
including heads, considering the work they do, could be seen as having no
regard for dignity and self worth of human beings. We certainly are expected
to mould the lives of these youngsters to become independent minded and
responsible citizens. Therefore Principals and Heads of Schools will be
remiss in their professional duties if they draft rules that are meant to be
repressive. This we hope has not been the intention. However, an intention
can lend itself to interpretations that may differ from that of the
intended. If therefore any Code of Conduct is meant to arrest the freedom,
solidarity, understanding and happiness of school children then Code should
be thrown out and GTU and its family will divorce itself from such document.
As far as GTU is aware the Code of Conduct referred to, is a Draft and not
an approved document. Our understanding has been that the document was
supposed to be presented to all heads of schools and parents for comments
from which a final Code will be prepared to all heads of schools and parents
for comments from which a final Code will be prepared and then submitted to
the Department of State for Education for endorsement and approval. In such
a case all positive observations and inputs would have been put in place.
GTU is of the candid opinion that the Draft document should never have been
circulated to schools unfinished and unapproved. Principals of Schools do
not have the legal authority to prepare, approve and implement any such
Codes of Conduct. Of course Heads of Schools must take interest and possibly
initiate rules that can be put in place in schools and indeed it was this
thinking that encouraged Principals to take part in the draft. That is where
the role of the Committee set to prepare the draft, was supposed to stop.
As matters stand and as observed in the preamble of the Code of Conduct, it
is implied that the Conference of Principals and GTU Executive Committee
prepared and approved the Code of Conduct. This is far from being the case
and whoever must have done the preamble and equally whoever must have
distributed the draft has an apology to make certainly to the GTU and even
the Conference of Principals. It is indeed bad taste to be unfairly
implicated in a messy situation. This document need not have been rushed as
matters entailed are supposed to affect the entire school climate.
This document, we repeat, is in its raw form and as a draft it can never and
should not be implemented. GTU as the parent body of teachers wishes to
advise Heads of Schools to halt the implementation of the Code of Conduct
until such time that it undergoes the required stages, otherwise we will be
entangling ourselves into what we do not understand. The big question is:
why has the Department of State for Education not given a stamp of approval
to the document? One would have expected an approval signed by either the
Secretary of State for Education or the Permanent Secretary. Otherwise the
document should have bore the letterhead of the Department of State for
Education, an indication of authority. This has not been done. Therefore is
it judicious for Heads of Schools to implement this on their own accord?
Certainly not. At this moment in time, no one should hide behind the cloak
to dip others into an ocean they may find difficult to swim to safety.
Finally as we do appreciate the observations made by FOROYAA, GTU wishes to
assure every Gambian that teachers, including Heads of Schools are lovers of
children and do not intend to make school life unbearable to students. If
the Code is aimed at that, then it is unfortunate and we as teachers would
have shied away from our professional responsibilities. We are convinced and
hope that this shall never be the case. This is how matters stand at GTU.
Thank you.
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
GAMBIA TEACHERS' UNION.
As is evident from the letter, the GTU is claiming that they are not part of
the drafters of the Codes which they regard as a draft. We have not yet
succeeded in getting a response from the Conference of Principals on these
matters.
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