Submitted by Paula Sealy
While work is being done to beautify the Constitution River, there is an urgent need for work to be done in the nearby Elsie Payne complex to repair the wreckage and destruction.
Minister Jones and Par. Sec. Harry were gone with the elections on 24 May 2018. Less than two weeks later, PS June Chandler was transferred. In the turnstile behind her in a short were Janet Phillips and Sandra Phillips soon to be followed through the door by Chief Education Officer Best.
Yet the ministry still cannot get the education train on the right track with all those changes. Check the current policymakers and decision-makers. Let them tell the public how many Bounce Back volunteers there have been.
Let the education bosses tell us how come the BCC, SJPI and secondary school boards continue to get money, in many cases, without accounting for the money spent in the last 5 years. Cabinet, help the Auditor General to do more than report the bad practices.
So who do we blame? Not the teachers, I tell you! Not the former government alone. And COVID is not a plaster for every sore.
Face it and fix it. What mirror image do we see of ourselves? Something has to give.
We are tired of the talk of the lost decade. When education has lost its way, as it has, there is more than a decade at stake.
All we see is a mess and the messy hands proclaiming their cleanliness and innocence while their political fingerprints are plainly visible.
But teachers cannot and do not get the respect due to them in this society. Every child matters, yes, but even a dog is due respect.
When we mistreat teachers, we disregard the first line of authority figures. Who will be disregarded next?
May God save us.
Source: Nation
Source: Nation
Goo article but regrettably posts on education will NEVER get the same interest as salacious posts about corruption and money. It’s only when “my child” getting unfair that we hear the wails and wallows of an suddenly interest public.
In the same way we all know when bad or corrupt decision are made by say nothing until it’s in our backyard in the confines of the old time paling…
Oh what a tangled web we weave and oh how deep the sand is that we bury our heads in.
Just observing
@Observing
No they will not, only if there is our problem right there.
Did warn PS that the how matters after she suspended 5/6 officers from across the ministry within 1 1/2 years of her arrival. Seemingly the Ministry continued to apply the same modus operandi to get rid of officers by any means necessary once they didn’t/don’t buy into Group Speak.
Glaringly obvious is that qualifications don’t lead to vision or feasible ideas. Instead positions are taken & if challenged feelings of affront or annoyance guide the incumbents’ response. The validity of stakeholders interest, ideas, concerns as well as brainstorming, feedback and resolution matter & should be the key factors driving change. In absence of the same, theories, strategies and determinations guiding approaches conceived by this Ministry will come to naught because the key stakeholders are not involved & hence not on board the change train.
@groslyn
Your inside info explains it all! Ask the Ministry how many teachers and officers are on suspension WITH pay.
If they are wrong, fire them.
If they end up being right. Reinstate them.
Education will forever be the bastard child that looks good on a poster or slogan but when the lights dim no one pays any attention or give any real resources to.
All the while, this present lot takes us down the road of 2000-2005 which is the same road that put us in the muck we are in in the first place.
Just observing
Everything is consumed by political motivation flavored with incompetence. And we are doing this as it effects the education sector that soaks up a significant slice of the national budget. Do the calculation about the kind of outcomes that will continue to generate.
The blogmaster is curious the role the two unions BSTU and BUT have/have not played is creating a different kind of strategic education management system.
Caswell Franklyn has posted many times on the blog cases where teachers and principals have been transferred in the system after committing unforgivable acts involving minors.
Not every shepherd is David and there is only one St. Mary.
The union politics was on show this afternoon. Pedro Shepherd spoke his piece and the game is still being played out.
I believe Mr. Shepherd and the minister have a general election date in SMSE. He is huffing and puffing from all now trying to make an impression. He made some fair points but a few things bother me.
Where was Mr. Shepherd’s voice when his party pushed through the Public Service Qualifications Order on his first watch as BUT president? There wasn’t one single word until hundreds of teachers were no longer in line to become principal. Not one blasted word he had to say to the members until the order was already passed.
On the other hand…
When the BSTU became aware that the pay of its members docked in 2017 Mary Redman went to court in a hurry. Mr. Shepherd, some of the officers and BUT members had their money docked in 2016 but he took a year before he would decide to get to court. In fact, Mary Redman got to court before he did although he had a yearlong headstart. The not so funny part is that in 2016 Ms. Redman adviced Mr. Shepherd to go to court.
I would like teachers to open their eyes.
The BSTU is BLP friendly. The BUT is DLP friendly. That is their history. But teachers have been shafted by both parties recently without any letting-up.
The politics has education operating in a cesspool during a Category 5 hurricane. Teachers are left to stand in the middle of it but the union leaders are failing to speak the truth to power.
It is party first.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQgWhhlAkNk/
Source: Nation
https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/06/25/students-to-appeal/
proof of government collusion with CXC to disenfranchise the nation’s children, no more proof is needed that they are BOTH ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE…
I have posted my thoughts on education on other blogs on other occasions. It is one of my pet peeves. All I can say here is that three weeks cannot fix what more than a year has done.
Our educational system needs serious reform. We have been assured that it is in the works. Hard to see it happening with the current mindsets.
Bajans have to decide if they want this broken system to continue to destroy so many of our children and hence, ultimately ALL OF US. This system serves the minority. That is no good even for the minority as they have to live among the majority.
The question to be answered is – do we want to limp along or do we want to fly?
@ David
The assault on the teaching profession has continued since the 70s. The reason it does not attract too much attention on BU is that both the Bees and the Dees have acted in the same manner toward the profession.
Efforts were made to bring the BUT and BSTU together back in the late seventies. The BSTU did not view primary school teachers as their equals and that effort collapsed.
Both unions have high profiled leaders, not only presidents, who are die hard members and supporters of the Bs or the Ds.
There is much that I can say but it really makes no sense because it would be the same thing I have been saying since the 70s.
No wonder all the recent Ministers Of Education can employ divide and rule strategies and then attract public support for their nefarious deeds.
We reap what we sow.
@William
You follow local media . You heard the head of Erdiston Training College chastising teachers by suggesting if they are not in it for the love of the profession to find another job? Her comment was provoked by the unions advising teachers not to respond to governments call to forgo summer vacation in order to teach children left behind by the pandemic.
Are Liesel and Michelle Weekes related?
@William
“No wonder all the recent Ministers Of Education can employ divide and rule strategies and then attract public support for their nefarious deeds.”
Correct!!!
@PAula
6 is half dozen and both the 6’s and the full dozen operate from a political crate rather than one built for children.
@Daivd
Have you ever heard a lawyer cussing another one? Even if they dead wrong and theiving? Have you ever heard a doctor call out another for malpractice? Have you ever heard a police testify against a police?? But yet teachers and Ministers and Ministry officials cuss one another daily… ALL THE WHILE trying to teach conflict resolution, collaboration and cooperation. Mark my words, this will go down as one of the worse periods in education in Barbados despite all the huff, puff and fluff.
Just observing
David Ellis is advertised to deal with the subject of education on Sunday Brasstacks, subject: children forgotten during the pandemic re: reception and infants.
You don’t divorce to marry back.
@William Skinner
Whose words were those?
If you can remember you would know that both the BUT and BSTU had mutual trust issues from the 1970s to the present.
If they are serving teachers all the same what is it that keeps them from becoming one? Political affiliations fuel personal ambitions and representation falls flat until your party is voted out. Former leaders of teachers’ unions went straight from the table of the union executive into a political campaign, private sector association leadership, senior education posts like the last two Chief Education Officers did or consultancy for government.
If teachers would wake up they would know understand why a vote of no confidence was pushed in the BUT last year by two members who ran in DLP council elections later that year.
So who is running the teachers’ unions in Barbados? Are their headquarters in Belleville and Welches or George Street and Roebuck Street?
How better to control them than by setting them against each other? Teachers need to keep a closer eye on the ministry and their union leaders.
It boggles the mind why teachers are being served by two unions on a small island like Barbados.It the prevailing environment it makes sense for the BUT and BSTU to amalgamate.
@DAvid
That will NEVER happen. Anyone wonder why in all of the recent noise and tension that one of the union leaders is quiet?? Especially when same said union leader is usually the most vocal???
Just observing
Who will rid us of these petty, partisan politics?
The loudmouth Mary is indeed as quiet as a church mouse!
SMH
@ David
That is the old strategy at work. You would recall that just about a week or so ago the matter of the date for the Common Entrance was publicly addressed by the Minister of Education. All the unions were on board. We were given the impression that consensus was reached. Then suddenly, the goal post was moved and the summer classes idea literally caught the teachers by surprise.
Now that the unions don’t agree to it because the teachers are stressed out, the powers that be are reaching out for retirees and others to teach the students during the summer.
Political PR will follow, it will go something like this:
The ministry/ government/ minister trying dey best to get the “ children” catch up and dem teachers don’t want to help; they just want the salary and don’t want to help the “poor children”. The “old time teachers” who use to work for nutting ain’t like there new ones ..,……..,….,..”
That is the way it has been always done. That’s why we can’t get no where with education , all the administrations try to put the teachers in a bad light and the public then believes that the “ teachers don’t care nutten ‘ bout de children”
Same old same old.
@William
Well said.
https://www.facebook.com/246784233190/posts/10158630194148191/
Olu Walrond proves just what William is saying here about the public but Ricky Neblett makes an interesting point.
Walrond: Mr. Shepherd, you are fooling no one.Teachers are not under any more pressure than any other category of worker. If anything you should be more relaxed than most, because when everyone else was working you had the benefit of the children vacation. Let’s face it: you guys just don’e like to work.
Neblett: Now you see why the last president was under pressure because he wasn’t opposing everything and calling strikes so he had to go and now we are back to normal with Mr Shepherd oppose oppose oppose
It is cat piss and dog pepper.
Redman in the red corner and Shepherd in the blue.
They take turns at opposing.
But it is not fair to say that teachers do not want to work. Some do and some don’t as with every other profession.
It is the union leaders who “oppose everything” depending on which party proposes it.
I think that one should do a “cost benefit” analysis before one jumps in with a last minute proposal.
It is not clear that three weeks of work will make a signigicant dent in the deficit. It will however, cause significant discord.
Unfortunately, life does not go as planned. We have to be more flexible in our expectations. The year is gone. There is no making up for it. We should stop pretending.
Macdowall is a classic example what will be the result- for the union.
https://www.nationnews.com/2015/05/16/pudding-souse-power-gone-to-her-wigs
She needs to recognise that she is not sitting across the table trying to frighten an opposing side into accepting her position. They say it seems as if the water in the Constitution River has left her giddy and light-headed and warn that the big stick behaviour is unacceptable – 2015
Miss Most Wigs refused to toe the line so she had to go. But in 2021 others are giddy with power.
Source: Nation
Source: Nation
@ David
“So why are teachers being chastised for protecting their legal right to annual vacation, especially when some teachers worked throughout the recent Easter vacation.”
The author( Russell ) asks above : Why are teachers being chastised………..”
As I said recently, the politicians in cahoots with their lap dogs in the Ministry of Education always find a way to turn public opinion against the profession. Every single minister pulls this nastiness.
Here is a perfect example:
Back in the 70s , teachers were losing almost half of their lunch break or more supervising students during lunch time because of the school meals .
When the BUT,explained that after supervising the students they needed more time to have their lunch because they were losing more than half their lunch hour, the then Minister of Education, went on national television and told the public that the teachers did not want to supervise the children. He went on to say that it’s a health issue because the children will use the wash rooms and if they were not supervised they may not wash their hands after and it would eat their lunch with dirty hands, This he said will lead to all kinds of health issues because they may end up sick.
It was in my opinion the greatest lie ever told an any profession. The public gobbled up the lie and proceeded to “ cuss” the teachers.
All the teachers wanted was twenty minutes more to compensate for the time lost in supervising the children.?The teachers were being very reasonable because sometimes the supervision took up more than half their lunch hour. In other words even if they were granted twenty minutes more they would have still been giving up a full hour.
The apologists can say what they like but the current MOE, has a penchant for divide and rule. I realise she comes out very smooth before the public but she always says things like: “ I have spoken to parents” “ I have spoken with children” “ Some teachers agree with …., “
“ Not all teachers are members of the union”.
She like all the rest before in recent times literally scandalize the profession to ensure that their political ambitions and preferences are instituted .
This article by Ms. Russell represents the most positive pro teacher position , I have read in the last thirty or more years.
However I am not surprised that the public would have sided with the Minister who wants to prove she can get her way.
The only difference with her and Jones is the presentation but the attitude and content are the same.
Six and half dozen.
@William
There is another view given the challenge the pandemic poses that taxpayers are supporting the public sector wage bill while many in the private sector have been sent home and the teachers owe it to the country to dig deep given the prevailing challenge. In other words there are the old issues and then there is the one before us.
Are we asking too much for the unions and MOE to discuss and resolve these kinds of matters offline?
Source: Nation News
Source: Nation
@ David
When dealing with children, we need to be more understanding. Ms. Russell’s article is very illuminating because it clearly shows that pushing burnt out teachers to now engage in some hastily conceived Bounce Back Summer what ever, will ultimately not yield any outstanding results.
Please remember that dealing with children is not like dealing with reopening a shop, mini mart, cinema or gas station. These are young lives that have suffered tremendous psychological damage because of the disruption of COVID.
However, and I will say this repeatedly, the hatchet job done on the profession going back to the 70s is still obvious today.
Politicians using our most precious resource and refusing to reform the system have a lot of blood on their hands. Common sense demands that both teachers and children need to have a good long summer break.
We don’t want to admit it but the violent crimes, hog a stylish behavior toward , each other, inability of students in secondary school to even write a simple composition and the general changing nature of our society have a lot to do with how we develop citizens via the educational system.
We better think twice on these matters. Nothing happening now would surprise those of us , fighting for change fifty years ago.
We reap what we sow. Teaching is not managing a mini mart and children are not about dollars and cents.
Everyday devoted teachers make sacrifices way beyond the call of their profession. But they don’t rush into the papers for front page news. It’s not the teachers that are broken it is the education system.
Forget the PR Bounce back Crap. We are not talking about tourism slogans here.
There are beaches to enjoy and lazy summer days to recharge batteries. Take the damn politics out of education and deal with the reality that both teachers and children need a break.
I thank Ms. Russell for her support.
Ms. Russell, teachers are required to apply for long leave which is their only true vacation. When school is out teachers remain on duty and if schools are used as hurricane shelters they are to report as wardens. The principals report as senior wardens. Teachers are to request permission to travel in the so-called vacation during Christmas, Easter and summer. They are to return to Barbados before the school year starts on September 1 if they leave the island. They are also to seek permission to be off island there too. Who else in the public service has to?
Teachers know they owe it to the country to dig deep. That has been the norm for most teachers. But the new normal seems to make for no regard whatsoever for the personal well-being of teachers.
Teachers need to look out for teachers because nobody else does. It is that simple.
@William
Have no issue with your view, we live in a world where matters are assessed from a pure transactional perspective.
There are good teachers and bad teachers. Most are good.
We have a tendency to focus on the bad.
This adversarial relationship between the politicians, the Ministry and the teachers is not good for anyone. I am tired of seeing all this crap play out in the media.
We had better get our act together or we will perish.
@PS.
‘They are to return to Barbados before the school year starts on September 1 if they leave the island.’
First let me state that I spent a short time teaching at a secondary school.
Teachers should know they have to be present for the start, during and at the end of the school year.
I am glad that my vacation was not as difficult as that of other people.
Let me get back to my summer reading ‘How to win friends and influence people’
@David
The parties involved are either too immature or eyeing on notnlosing ground before general elections. The minister and the president are a blessing to the media. But the people of St. Michael South East would like their MP to remember they are her constituents.
There are teachers who live in Haggatt Hall, Wildey, Upton, the Pine and St. Barnabas who vote. They know who it is attacking them. They aren’t deaf. After they had a ten year Jones special and another special from Bradshaw, teachers are fed up with the nonsense.
Test papers from the ministry were delivered.to primary schools on different days. Blame the teachers?
Test items which have nothing to do with the national syllabus were on the tests prepared by the ministry. Blame the teachers?
Papers arrived with no marking scheme and no analysis sheet. Blame the teachers?
If results are late, do you blame the teachers? If the results are poor who do you blame?
There seems to be enough blame to distribute.
Source: Nation
Shepherd was upset and Bradshaw was annoyed according to the article
Thiis shouting match is overshadowing the issues in education. Teachers need leaders with emotional intelligence and a vision to move education forward together.
Some people in Lascelles Terrace could tell you about the time when the union leader flattened some tyres back when he was annoyed. Two for Phillips and two for Green. A campaign has begun at Wilkie Cumberbatch where students are given messages to take home. Vote for your old teacher..
Bradshaw’s Haggatt Hall constituency office is starting to fall apart like just the schools. On Brasstacks today a resident of Blackman Field spoke about Bradshaw no longer being accessible to constituents.
These two do not make good examples as leaders. They are too busy carrying on like two schoolgirls fighting over a van man in the middle of the road. How low can they go?
Minister Bradshaw, deal with this kind of matter offline. No need to create adversarial conditions under every issue.
Source: Nation
Source: Nation News
Source: Nation
Source: Nation
When this country began, there was no public school, the men and women creating the best country ever. Education does not have to be through government. For myself, though I did go to college, I realized later how much more I learned outside public education.