00:00Not as we are accustomed to, eh? We are accustomed to a lot of issues and a lot of schools complaining and so on.
00:06Only this morning I got some feedback that shall never matter, this would need some attention,
00:12that some of the ACE units are down.
00:14They have issued one of the wards that seems to be deteriorating to the point where it may pose some health risks,
00:23in terms of it may eventually crumble.
00:27I would have seen some of the images we would have sent to the division, the supervisor,
00:33I think the division sent someone from procurement or the project implementation unit to the school.
00:38So I think the division is doing their job in that regard.
00:41Mr Roberts, in his penultimate term in office, says he wants the issue of contract teachers resolved,
00:48especially in light of the Chief Secretary Farley Augustine and Education Secretary Zarisha Hackett being former teachers.
00:55I know the Chief Secretary and the Secretary were persons as contract teachers.
01:01After fighting their way out of it, I would want to class them as beautiful souls,
01:06who are returning to assist those who are still in it.
01:09Mr Roberts also spoke to the leave classification matter and other issues.
01:15Increments on graduating needs to be on par with where teachers are supposed to be.
01:21We have teachers who are on their salaries from 2015-2020 without the increments,
01:27because the division doesn't have the funding to pay.
01:30I know that the administrator would have that headache with the limited funds being allocated,
01:36which does not match the bills that they usually have to spend on.
01:41It's a similar feedback we get from the ministry.
01:44But if you want to take Tobago forward, if you want to put a hold on the crime
01:49or the young person getting involved in drugs and so on, we need to be for education.
01:53And underfunded and under-resourced education, you are shooting yourself in the foot.
01:58Roberts is hopeful a strategic direction for Tobago's education would be realized.
02:04Elizabeth Williams, TV6 News.
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