Those students who are preparing to write the SSEE and CXC examinations soon must be under severe strain and stress because of the continuing strike which has led to the closure of many schools around the country.

The strike is impacting most on those students preparing to write the upcoming examinations as most are deprived of the necessary tuition from teachers at school and the distress caused to parents, guardians and the affected children must indeed be acute.

The Office of the President has said that the current strike is an extreme measure and charged that apart from the issue of salaries none of the other claims are a justification for strike action.

At his weekly news conference Wednesday, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon said: "The Office of the President views with increasing concern the worsening industrial situation in the education sector...(and) sees the withdrawal of services as an extreme sanction by its employees and cannot explain the basis for the GTU's action".

He noted that teachers as a group received the highest pay increases in 2001 and 2002 and said the Office of the President "is aware that none of the other claims offered by the union can withstand full public scrutiny as causes for the strike."

As a consequence of the industrial action by the union, the Office of the President has instructed the Ministry of Education to prepare to implement its contingency plan to provide instruction to students who will be writing the Secondary School Entrance Examination (SSEE) next month, he said.

The ministry has begun to put these measures in place and we hope they serve to allay, to some extent, the growing concerns of affected parents, guardians and children.

Dr. Luncheon has noted: "The situation is not irretrievable, common sense can prevail and the advice of the reckless and self-interested can be avoided and ignored."

He also noted that the Ministry of Labour in accordance with its statutory provisions has invited the two parties "to undergo a detailed process that can lead to the resolution of the issue."

Labour Minister, Dr. Dale Bisnauth on Tuesday appointed a three-member advisory committee to look into the dispute between the Education Ministry and the GTU which triggered the strike.

A statement from Chief Labour Officer, Mr. Mohamed Akeel said the minister was concerned that the strike has escalated from two days a week to "an indefinite period" despite efforts by the Labour Ministry to resolve the matter.

"It is the view of the minister that a prolongation of the strike can adversely affect student performance at examinations and he has therefore in the national interest taken this decision (to establish the committee)", Mr. Akeel said.

While teachers, like all other workers, have a right to take a stand on issues affecting them, they have a special responsibility to the children under their care which should not be taken lightly.