Hold up

Hundreds of primary and secondary school teachers are being denied a second term’s leave because of the failure of a High Court judge to deliver a written decision.

That has been revealed by the president of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) Rudy Lovell who said that 15 months after Madame Justice Shona Griffith overturned the decision by the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training (METVT) to stop allowing a second term’s leave, teachers are still waiting to benefit from the ruling.

And he said the affected educators were frustrated.

“Teachers continue to suffer burnout and even though there is a legal mechanism drafted to allow them to re-energise after the first 15 years and subsequently after every five years of service, that right has been taken away from those who wish to exercise it,” he said.

Explaining the situation to Barbados TODAY, Lovell said a guide document created by the Ministry of Education in 2000 stipulated that a first team’s leave should be granted to teachers after the first 15 years and subsequently after every five years of service.

He said it gave provision for 140 primary school teachers and 110 secondary school teachers to be on leave in a financial year.

However, he said, the METVT took a unilateral decision in 2014 to only grant the first term’s leave and the last upon retirement and the BUT took the matter to court.

On August 17, 2021, Justice Griffith delivered an oral decision in the case in the BUT’s favour.

However, Lovell said, the METVT has made it clear it is awaiting the written judgment before it resumes giving the leave.

The BUT president insisted that teachers were deserving of the break which was being withheld from them.

“Teachers continue to go beyond the call of duty and this was evident during the height of COVID-19. This continued commitment must be commended. However, as with any category of worker, teachers too need time to recuperate and revitalise their minds, body, and soul to continue to meet the challenges of the teaching profession,” he said.

Lovell added that the union had placed the matter on the agenda for meetings it had with the Permanent Secretary in the METVT.

“We had two meetings and every time we met with her we placed this on the agenda for an item for discussion and they would have indicated that they are awaiting a written judgement from the court,” he said.

Saying that it was unfortunate that 2023 was “almost upon us” and the written judgement had not been made available, Lovell added: “Some 15 months onward, the BUT is frustrated by the lack of a written judgement regarding the court’s decision on the granting of a term’s vacation leave to teachers. According to sections of the media, Section 84 of the 2019 amendment to the Constitution suggests that judges should deliver written judgments within six months of the decision.

“Having not received a written judgement, the BUT is hopeful that this issue can be speedily rectified to allow the Court’s decision to be enforced.”

randybennett@barbadostoday.bb