Schools resume normal operations, officials credit emergency response amid protest

Primary school classrooms across the island returned to order on Friday following a two-day teacher sick-out, with education authorities crediting a coordinated effort by student teachers, retired educators, and school leaders for averting widespread disruption.

Deputy Chief Education Officer Julia Beckles confirmed that schools had stabilised following industrial action by members of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT), which left several institutions understaffed on Thursday and Friday.

In a recorded statement after visiting affected schools on Friday, Beckles reported that school management teams were coping well under the circumstances.

“We visited schools this morning, paying particular attention to those schools which were impacted by yesterday’s sick-out action taken by the Barbados Union of Teachers,” she said. “At this time, I can report that principals are managing and that schools are settled.”

She credited the return to calm to efforts by various support groups.

“We were supported today by teachers from the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College, student teachers, and retired educators,” Beckles explained.

“At this time, I wish on behalf of the Ministry of Educational Transformation to thank those student teachers who came to our assistance as well as our colleagues who are retired but decided today that they will come to our aid,” she added. “I also take this opportunity to thank our principals for the creative management of the situation.”

The controversy centres on the long-standing issue of term’s leave for teachers — an unresolved matter dating back 11 years, predating the Mottley administration. In a government restructuring programme in 2013 under the then Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration, teachers, unlike other public service workers, were spared job cuts. Instead, the term’s leave arrangements were revised in a bid to reduce the government’s wage bill at the time.

Teachers were entitled to term leave every five years after completing 15 years of service, but the 2014 change limited that leave to only two occasions: once at 15 years and once before retirement.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb