Dear Editor,

In the Friday, January 18, 2002 editorial of Stabroek News captioned "Teacher migration" it is stated among other things that the Ministry of Education was "slothful" in dealing with teachers concerns. The facts however as indicated below suggest indifferently:

(a) Putting more trained teachers into the schools. Over three thousand teachers were trained over the past five years

(b) Making the school more pupil/teacher friendly through rehabilitation/ renovation and building of new schools - over eight hundred schools were either constructed or built or renovated since the PPP/Civic government assumed office.

(c) Increasing teachers' salaries by over 600% since 1992.

(d) Reducing the eligibility period from five years to four years for the granting of Whitley Council leave.

(e) Reducing the pupil/teacher ratio making it easier for teachers to manage classes.

(f) Granting subsidy to teachers' children writing the C.X.C. examination.

Attempts are now being made to provide teachers with house lots. Many teachers have received house lots and are living in their own houses already.

These are only some of the benefits that teachers have received. Of course much more can be done but this I am sure will be addressed in the course of time.

Yours faithfully,

Chelisa Singh