Why squeeze teachers?
Teachers are facing institutional challenges at the beginning and end of their careers.
In two incidents this week, a troubling picture of the management of career educators emerged.
In a High Court case on Thursday, Justice Frank Seepersad ordered vindicatory damages of $30,000, with salary arrears to be determined for Prakash Sugremsingh who began his career in 2000 as a teacher III, completed required studies and qualifications for promotion and, in 2010 was appointed a Teacher 1, Secondary (Grade III). He received no adjustment in pay.
In 2017, Mr Sugremsingh got an assessment letter from the Education Ministry confirming that he was qualified for promotion, pending an interview by the Teaching Service Commission. Seven years later that interview hasn’t been scheduled.
The commission claims it is working through a backlog of assessments and applications dating from March 2017.
In this startling matter, it appears possible to meet stated requirements for promotion in the teaching service, complete studies, and qualifications, and be forgotten by the state’s systems. A raise after promotion is also evidently not automatic.
It’s incongruous for the commission to declare that it is overwhelmed by requests for promotions and appointments, while schools are clamouring for qualified teachers.
On August 5, Martin Lum Kin, president of the TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) warned that schools face an “acute” teaching shortage when they reopen in September because teachers are not being upgraded. Vacancies, following retirement, resignation or death are not being filled.
Disagreements between the commission and denominational boards over their preference for teacher appointments aligned with their faiths further complicate matters.
On Monday night, Mr Lum Kin participated in a candlelight vigil outside the office of the Ministry of Finance to protest another backlog; this one for medical claims on their Unimed plan and concerns about retiring teachers not being able to access their expected national insurance benefits because of incomplete or inaccessible records in the NIB’s archives.
In an April Newsday column, TTUTA made its dissatisfaction with the situation clear, calling on the Education Ministry to respect the 2022 judgment by Justice Rahim urging prompt payments of superannuation benefits to retiring teachers.
TTUTA is also facing a shortfall in medical payments owed to teachers under the Unimed medical plan which 30,000 teachers have joined.
Unpaid refunds amounting to $33 million are owed to 1,000 teachers, most of who won’t be repaid for a year.
An audit of the plan has not been shared with TTUTA, which is part of a management committee that oversees it. The government contributes 60 per cent of dues, the remainder from teachers’ salaries.
It’s hard to see how the government expects the best from its teaching corps when it does so little to offer them the best support, or none at all.
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