00:00The Association of Denominational Boards of Education says the Teaching Service Commission is attempting to blame them for a crisis
00:09created by the commission itself.
00:11In a strongly worded release, the association described a recent statement by the Service Commission on teacher vacancies as quote
00:19-unquote disingenuous and erroneous in context and content.
00:23The association says there are currently approximately 238 teacher-won vacancies across government-assisted primary schools managed by denominational boards
00:36and the problem has been ongoing for more than 18 months, leaving some classrooms without teachers.
00:43It says concerns raised recently by parents of students at Barataria Boys R.C. School reflect a wider national problem
00:51affecting many schools.
00:53Under the 1960 Concordat Agreement, religious bodies say they have the legal right to determine whether candidates recommended by the
01:02Teaching Service Commission are suitable to preserve the denominational character of their schools.
01:08It says the Teaching Service Commission advertised vacancies in 2023 and submitted an order of merit list containing 541 candidates.
01:19However, by August 2024, denominational boards informed the commission there were no remaining candidates who met the requirements needed to
01:38preserve the religious character of their schools.
01:41In one case highlighted, the Catholic Education Board of Management reportedly informed the Teaching Service Commission that 32 vacancies remained
01:50unfilled because there was quote,
01:53no candidate to recommend who meets the criteria for the preservation and character of Roman Catholic schools, end quote.
02:01The association says the commission could not claim there are available candidates when denominational boards have legally declined those recommendations
02:10under the Concordat, adding quote,
02:13The TSC is solely responsible for creating this situation.
02:18It claims the Teaching Service Commission failed to provide a new order of merit list despite advertising again for applicants
02:25in July last year.
02:27Eleven months later, it says vacancies continue to increase while schools struggle to operate effectively.
02:33The release accuses the service commission of attempting to breach the Concordat by pressuring denominational boards to appoint teachers outside
02:42their faith traditions.
02:44The association also rejected the position that more than 250 qualified candidates remain available for appointment.
02:52It says such a statement implies the commission and not religious bodies has the authority to determine who is qualified
02:59to preserve the denominational character of schools.
03:02And it is that position, it says, which undermines both the Concordat Agreement and the constitutional rights of parents to
03:10choose education aligned with their religious beliefs.
03:13But despite the dispute, the association says it remains willing to work with both the Ministry of Education and the
03:21Teaching Service Commission to resolve the matter and maintain standards within denominational schools.
03:27The association says it is now awaiting a new order of merit list from the Teaching Service Commission to begin
03:33filling vacancies across government-assisted primary schools.
Comments