Teacher, lab tech claim victimisation while classes disrupted
by Sheria Brathwaite
“Tension” among some members of staff at the Deighton Griffith Secondary School has led to a request for the Ministry of Education to intervene urgently in a bid to allow “students and teachers to settle down” and get on with the business of teaching and learning, Barbados TODAY has learned.
The situation has escalated to the point where the board chairman of the Kingsland, Christ Church school is suggesting that some staffers be transferred.
Board chairman John Wilson told Barbados TODAY on Monday that there was serious “tension” at the school and as a last resort, he wanted to highlight the issues affecting the student body and two workers in particular.
The science teacher and lab technician who are said to be at the centre of the row made claims of being “disrespected” and “victimised” for speaking up about a health and safety hazard stemming from a fire six months ago.
“There was a fire at the school [on] March 27, in the science lab as class was in session,” the teacher told Barbados TODAY. “The fire was never reported or anything like that and we were being forced to start back practicals even though there was a strong presence of gas . . . . Every time you said something about it, you were asked questions like ‘What are you talking about?’, like if you were going mad.”
The science teacher also complained of being passed over for promotion after the head of the science department left the school. As the next person in line, she said, it was expected that she would have been promoted.
“I was allowed to know that was not going to happen and someone was appointed without going through the board. I would have obviously queried it through the ministry and it was determined that I was the most senior,” the teacher said.
The assistant lab technician added that she too was being affected. She explained that she was pursuing a diploma in education at Erdiston Teachers’ Training College but was being refused the opportunity to conduct teaching practice at the school even though it was board-approved.
She said: “But there are other lab techs at different schools, who applied for the same course as me, who are allowed to come here and do their teaching practice. There is a shortage of teachers, my degree is in economics, and I could have been utilised, given my expertise, to teach maths. Yet a member of the auxiliary staff, who is not qualified in the particular area, is teaching maths.”
The workers said their challenges did not end there.
The assistant lab tech said the keys to the lab were taken away from her, as she noted that the lab stored all her colleague’s teaching materials.
As days went by, the duo also realised that someone was smearing oil all over the workroom, including on desks, doors and walls.
“Nothing is being done about it,” said the teacher. “It was happening on and off and then at one point every day. Previously, the locks on the lab door were cut off, a new one was placed and one day we came and found the locks on the cupboards corroded so I couldn’t get access to the cupboards.”
Not having the keys to the room, both women, since last term, have to wait for another staffer to open the door.
“We come and sit there and wait for someone to unlock the room,” the teacher said. “Sometimes it is not open at all or after nine o’clock which means I cannot teach classes as I also have resource material in the lab. So that means no teaching for the students.”
The women said that the situation was also causing tension with other staff who were not involved, and it led to the teacher being assaulted last Friday. She did not identify the assailant.
“The police were called in and even though it was suggested that I make an official complaint, I just asked that [the worker] be warned,” the teacher said.
Both the teacher and the lab tech said they were barred from the lab again on Monday.
“This morning, we came in around 8:15 and asked for the room to be opened. Up to now, the room has not been opened so we have been sitting on this bench for the entire day. We are being victimised because we spoke up about the fire. This is having a mental and physical toll on us. People are shouting at you and other staff are picking up . . . attitude towards us. I feel totally disrespected; you don’t know if you will be allowed to teach or not on any given day,” she said.
“The children are getting reduced teaching time but I have been asking them to come online, and that is mentally draining and physically draining for me because I am a single mother and I still have to take care of my son and my household.”
The women said they wanted the ministry to investigate the matter as soon as possible, especially since the senior year students, those studying human and social biology in particular, were being affected.
Wilson said the issue was going on too long and asked the workers to highlight the matter publicly.
“From what I have seen here in the last nine months . . . [this] is trying to divide this school and I think they should be removed. There is also a need for some persons to be transferred to other schools; this school needs a prompt shake-up at this time because it is affecting the children and staff morale. I would like to see this matter resolved this week so the children and staff could settle down.”
General secretary of Unity Workers’ Union Caswell Franklyn, who is representing the two workers, said a letter was written to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education about three weeks ago but they “have not heard back anything”.
“That was the first part of the grievance process,” he said. “The next step will be me taking it to the director general of the Ministry of the Public Service.”
Franklyn added that as it relates to the fire, an official report should have been made to the Barbados Fire Service.
Regarding the teacher’s promotion, he said she previously acted in the position and was suitably qualified.
He added that it was also unfair that the assistant lab technician was being hampered from doing teaching practice at the school.
When Barbados TODAY was at the school conducting interviews on Monday, principal Major Michael Boyce appeared agitated at the team’s presence and questioned who had granted permission them permission to be on the premises.
Barbados TODAY also reached out to Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw but a promised return call was not received up to the time of publication.
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
