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CCNTV6
  • 1 year ago
The Teaching Service Commission has come in for criticism for failing to interview a teaching assistant for promotion.


The man has been on the same salary for the past 24 years.
Transcript
00:00After spending 24 years as an assistant teacher, the High Court today declared the Teaching
00:05Service Commission failed in its statutory obligation to assess Prakash Sugremsingh
00:11for promotion and that his right to protection of the law was violated.
00:16Sugremsingh was appointed to the post of assistant teacher III at Shiva Boys Hindu College in
00:21September 2000 and received a salary of between $4,131 and $4,971.
00:31In 2010, he graduated from the University of Trinidad and Tobago with a Bachelor's of
00:36Education and therefore was under the impression, based on a teaching service agreement, that
00:41he would be appointed and or promoted to the permanent position of graduate teacher III.
00:47Although he sent his certificates to the authorities, he has not been promoted.
00:52At a meeting with the curriculum supervisor, the teaching assistant was told the degree
00:56was insufficient for the graduate teacher III post and that he was required to complete
01:01a bridging program.
01:03Sugremsingh completed that in 2017.
01:06An assessment letter from the Permanent Secretary in the Education Ministry confirmed he was
01:10qualified for the promotion to graduate teacher III in physics but must be interviewed by
01:16the Teaching Service Commission.
01:17Sugremsingh has not been interviewed to date and is being paid at the same level as 24
01:22years ago.
01:23The Education Ministry confirmed receipt of his transcript and that they asked the Commission
01:28to interview him.
01:30In 2023, he received a letter saying he was appointed as teacher I, secondary, grade III
01:36since 2010 with the salary range of between $8,363 and $10,441 and was entitled to $11,925
01:49per month but Sugremsingh says his pay slips never reflected the increases.
01:55The court notes that possession of the relevant qualifications for the higher position does
02:00not automatically guarantee a promotion but the court says persons ought to be considered
02:06for one.
02:07High Court Judge Frank Sipisat says the evidence before him indicates the Teaching Service
02:11Commission's current modus operandi and organizational structure are in dire need of reform.
02:18He said it appears the Commission is not able to effectively and efficiently manage the
02:23hiring, promotion and disciplinary action over teachers.
02:27The judge says, quote, if, as the evidence suggests, there exists at least a seven-year
02:32delay between the time one becomes qualified to be interviewed and when the interview is
02:37actually conducted, then such a scenario is completely unacceptable as it does not accord
02:43with good administration, end quote.
02:46The critical role of the Commission involves vacancies within the school system and should
02:50be filled without delay so as to ensure the nation's children get the best possible education.
02:57The court said the delay would have caused understandable frustration as Sugremsingh
03:01has been relegated to the sidelines while his productive teaching years wasted away
03:06and data suggests the court says many more are in a like situation.
03:11The court repeated its position that statutory functions must be discharged efficiently and
03:15effectively and the delay in this matter was not explained.
03:20Sipisat says, quote, the court cannot and will not accept that the First Defendant's
03:24inability to interview the claimant after nearly seven years is reasonable.
03:29The First Defendant must do better and its failure to interview the claimant and conduct
03:33his interviews in a timely manner is patently unreasonable, end quote.
03:38The court questioned whether Sugremsingh's appointment to Teacher I was registered with
03:42the Ministry of Education and recorded on his file as he is still in receipt of an assistant
03:48teacher's salary.
03:49The judge told the court, quote, the travesty meted out to the claimant is exacerbated by
03:54the reality that a significant part of his career has passed while he operated like a
03:59nomad and soon will be nearing the mandatory retirement age, end quote.
04:04The court awarded vindicatory damages for breach of his constitutional right in the
04:09sum of $30,000.
04:11An assessment will be done to determine whether Sugremsingh is owed a raise.
04:15Arushi Tiwari, Rupanarayan, TV6 News.
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