Submitted by Observing
The recent SBA saga has taken centre stage in the educational conversation of Barbados. One might have missed the Minister’s pronouncement of a number of new codes including mobile technology, or the launch of the new school for troubled teens or even the good news coming out of BSSAC, NAPSAC and some schools’ Speech Days.
We’ve heard and seen the BSTU (“supported by the BUT”…whatever that means) make an impassioned plea for their members to not mark SBAs in support of their demand for payments.
From the outset let’s agree on a few things:
-
It’s the Union’s right to request payment, whether they get it or not.
-
It’s the Union’s right to take action to “force” discussion or resolution on the matter.
-
It’s the Union’s right to represent teachers who believe their their workload has become too burdensome, whether it is or not
-
It’s a Ministry’s responsibility to speak to its employees and/or their representatives proactively and on request
-
It’s a travesty when issues like this drag on for so long to the detriment of everyone.
Now, all of that aside, let’s get to the critical point here.
FACT: The stance taken by the BSTU, contrary to their statements in the media, places hundreds of students at risk of failure in hundreds of examinations unless Principals take corrective measures.
Let’s observe why…
a) The SBA is a school based assessment. Started, completed, assessed and submitted by the school.
b) The SBA is intended to form part of the teaching of the subject and to lead to the fulfilment of some objectives in the syllabus. It is not intended to be separate and distinct.
c) The SBA is a compulsory part of any syllabus where it is required. The same syllabus that teachers are duty bound to teach in its entirety where practicable.
d) By commencing and guiding the SBA in the first place, teachers are now duty bound to complete the process (i.e. mark/assess).
e) CXC will not conduct a process for Barbados that varies from other countries. (i.e. mark SBAs submitted without marks)
f) Marking an SBA is not the same as moderating an already marked SBA. (this point seems lost on the BSTU)
g) The guidelines quoted by BSTU (i.e. submission is sufficient…marks not needed) also state that scores not submitted by the institution or school on behalf of the candidate will lead to an ungraded.
h) Schools have a contractual obligation to its students and their parents to submit marked SBAs to the Local Registrar until existing guidelines or procedures have been changed
i) It is too late now to galvanise similar regional action on the matter. Barbados stands alone.
By the way…
If the teachers chose to mark, but then refused to compile, transfer or enter them into CSEC’s online system, they would be on solid ground If teachers do not want to mark the SBA without payment, then they should also refuse to start teaching any SBA class.
If teachers had directly indicated to their individual students, their individual parents and their individual schools at the start of the SBA process that this would be the end result, then they “may” have been forgiven.
The intransigent stance taken by the BSTU (in its present form) is nothing short of educational terrorism and could lead to the genocide of many Grade Ones and Twos unless Principals step in and fill the breach.
The words of the NCPTA President should be heeded. Stand down (for now), then reload your weapons before the start of the next school year. History will not be kind otherwise.
The blogmaster invites you to join and add value to the discussion.