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CCNTV6
  • 10 months ago
There are many teacher vacancies in schools across the country, and challenges in filling those vacancies by the Teaching Service Commission.


This formed part of the discussion at a Joint Select Committee, examining the reasons for the underperformance of students.


Alicia Boucher has the details.
Transcript
00:00Apart from many acting positions in the nation's schools, the National Council of
00:05Parent-Teacher Association tells the Joint Select Committee of the problem of
00:09vacant teaching positions at the primary school level. First Vice President of the
00:13Council, Zena Ramatale, released her observations pertaining to the St.
00:17George East District. For the last two years, many schools, you know, I have
00:23visited and the principals will report to parents that they are missing
00:29teachers and I'm speaking about primary school primary schools and I think that
00:34still exists. I will not call the names of the schools but tutor would be aware
00:39of that also. According to the NCPTA, these vacancies occur due to many
00:44reasons, including teachers retiring, passing on or being on maternity leave.
00:49It is reportedly creating an overburden for other teachers who have to
00:54facilitate classrooms where there are no teachers, all the while having a
00:58curriculum to complete for their own classes. In fact, some PTs have come
01:04together because of exams and so on, are paying for teachers in various subject
01:11areas to come to ensure that their children will pass CSEC. The Trinidad and
01:16Tobago Unified Teachers Association points to factors below the surface
01:20level, highlighting the Teaching Service Commission, which is responsible for
01:24filling vacant teaching posts. Tutor President Martin Lemkin says there is a
01:29staffing problem at the Commission as well. When we look at the commissioners
01:34being part-time, you only meet twice for the month and they are challenged in
01:41terms of filling of vacancies and promotion. But there's another factor we
01:48have to take into consideration. The information flow from the Ministry
01:54of Education, which is the body that would have the established positions and
02:01when there are vacancies, if due to whatever reasons, retirement, compulsory
02:07exiting the system and so on, if they are not given the information in a timely
02:13manner, then they cannot move towards having those vacancies filled. Tutor
02:18says while the nominational schools also have vacancies, they have an added
02:23issue, requiring teaching staff to be of their respective faith through their
02:27use of the concordat. People might be aware at this point, there is a court
02:32intervention by the denominational schools in the process of new, new
02:39appointments to their schools. And that in itself is timing the filling of
02:44vacancies as well. Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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