Minister of Education Kay McConney has pleaded for better cooperation between the government and teachers’ unions, as several schools across the island face closures prompted by teachers’ sick-outs.
The minister’s comments came as three schools – St Giles Primary School, St George Secondary School, and Wesley Hall Junior School – grapple with issues ranging from environmental concerns to staff absences.
McConney acknowledged past tensions but stressed the importance of unity as she also assured that the ministry was working to resolve outstanding issues.
“Teachers are the backbone of our education system, and their unions play a vital role in advocating for their rights and well-being,” she said. “Only through constructive dialogue and collaboration can we address the challenges facing our schools and ensure a high standard of education.”
Wesley Hall Junior School faced disruptions after 22 teachers called in sick last Monday and McConney expressed concern over the situation: “The health of our teachers is paramount, but we must also consider the consequences for our students, who miss out on valuable learning time whenever there are disruptions.”
The minister appeared to challenge accounts of the situation at Wesley Hall, whose Principal Herbert Gittens is General Secretary of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT).
The minister detailed a series of meetings held to address the issues at Wesley Hall, including one between the ministry’s permanent secretary and union representatives on June 13. But, she noted that a letter raising new issues was sent by the school’s principal the following evening, with teachers reporting ill by Monday morning.
McConney questioned the sequence of events: “On the 13th of June, our permanent secretary met with members of the unions, including the Barbados Union of Teachers. At that meeting, a number of issues were raised. The day after that meeting, on June 14th, at 9:28 in the night, a letter then came that indicated matters that were not raised within the last 24 to 48 hours when the permanent secretary had the meeting on Thursday. The letter came from the principal of Wesley Hall Primary School.
“On the morning of June 17th, when teachers were ill, and the acting Deputy Chief Education Officer Mr [Glyne] Price contacted the principal and the union, they all indicated that they had no idea what was going on. They were not aware. And when you have a situation where five out of 32 teachers turn up, and the unions in that environment say, ‘but I was not aware’, it makes us wonder. It makes us wonder when one day you meet with the ministry, the next day in the dead of the night you send a letter, and then by the next working day, teachers are off, but you don’t know.”
“I imagine it is possible that you don’t know everything going on in the school environment, but I want to say that I hope that we will all be able to move forward in good faith and to do so in a manner that will mitigate the impact on the children of this country. And those are the facts of the situation for Wesley Hall,” the education minister added.
She stressed the importance of taking ownership and working collaboratively to address the problems at the King’s Street, The City school.
“We will continue to work with the entire education community at Wesley Hall to ensure that we are able to discharge our responsibility in addressing those areas that we own, and we encourage our other partners to own their part in this experience of lost education for our children,” McConney said.
Addressing the situation at St George Secondary School which has been closed for nearly a week due to a mosquito infestation, Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw explained that the problem stemmed from two malfunctioning sewage tanks in the neighbouring Constant Housing area.
“We will continue to collaborate with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Housing to determine when it will be safe for our students and staff to return,” she said.
At St Giles Primary School, teachers have raised health concerns. Acting Deputy Chief Education Officer Glyne Price reported that a meeting had been held with teachers to discuss their grievances.
“It was a long meeting, but it was also fruitful and productive,” he said, adding that further discussions with the principal were planned for later in the week. (RG)
