The Gambia Teachers’ Union (GTU) has sought to clarify concerns surrounding the recently introduced Staff Quarters Maintenance Fee, the allocation of GTUCCU lands and calls for the resignation of the union’s president and his executive.
In a statement shared with The Standard yesterday signed by the executive members of the union addressed to teachers and the general public, the GTU leadership said it had noted messages circulating on social media regarding the Union’s activities, describing some of the claims as misinformation and disinformation.
The Union said teachers have every right to question and scrutinise its leadership but urged members to verify information before taking action.
According to the GTU, the Staff Quarters Maintenance Fund was introduced in response to the growing need to maintain staff quarters constructed through the MRC-Holland Foundation.
“ Over a nine-year period, the foundation had worked in more than 400 schools, constructing over 4,300 classrooms and more than 2,000 staff quarters, in addition to toilets, kitchens, water and solar facilities”.
The GTU explained that occupants of the quarters had increasingly requested repairs to roofs, doors, windows, locks, painting and tiled areas. In response, the MRC-Holland Foundation decided that school and communities benefiting from new facilities should contribute D300 per room each month towards maintenance.
The union added that the arrangement was formalised through a tripartite agreement involving the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE), the MRC-Holland Foundation and the GTU.
Under the agreement, the foundation would construct and transfer the facilities to MoBSE, while the GTU will be responsible for their operation and management.
They explained that the arrangement would help ensure the long-term sustainability of the facilities, while excess funds could potentially support the development of facilities in areas that remain underserved.
The GTU further disclosed that a Staff Quarters Management Committee had been established by the national executive committee, with accounts opened at the CESCU and GTUCCU and that officials from the GTU, MoBSE and the Catholic Education Secretariat (CES) are serving as trustees.
The union cited recent damage to staff quarters, including the roof of a facility in Region Three and problems at Jah Kunda in Region Six, as examples of the urgent maintenance challenges facing teachers.
On the issue of GTUCCU land, the union acknowledged the frustration of members who paid for plots but have waited for extended periods and said it has taken Allah Tentu Properties to court to resolve the matter.
It said the GTUCCU management has since been working on the matter and has progressively allocated land to intended beneficiaries.
The GTU leadership also rejected suggestions that it was inaccessible to members, encouraging teachers with concerns to contact national or regional representatives or use the union’s official social media platforms for updates.