Minister, call in TTUTA

This month is “Month of the Teacher,” bearing the impressive mission, “Teachers at the heart of education recovery.”

An “operation blackout” for last Thursday and next Tuesday, was prescribed by the TT Unified Teachers Union (TTUTA). That is, no online teaching nor posting of class materials for home-based student.

Then there is strong disagreement between the union and the Ministry of Education as to whether only Forms 5 and 6 vaccinated students should attend classes or Forms 4, 5 and 6 as instructed by the ministry.

But what really seems to have shoved this dispute between a rock and a hard place is the breakdown of consultations between the two parties.

Look, in the first place, teachers are the front-line ones to implement the ministry’s policies. It is a logistical nightmare when teachers, for example, have to double up for both face-to-face teaching and online teaching.

TTUTA’s president, Antonia De Freitas, has been complaining for the past weeks about the lack of “proper consultations” by the ministry. She said merely receiving instructions from the ministry without proper consultations is “disrespectful.”

Last week, she added: “The Ministry of Education has demonstrated the 'sham that passes for consultation' with the recognised majority union, a lack of proper procedures, as well as a total disregard for the well-being of educational professionals.”

Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly had previously declared that there had been enough consultations with TTUTA and other stakeholders.

Last week she pointed to the large number of online devices distributed to teachers, with more to come. She said: “Principals are required to submit their school reopening plans and their methods to extend educational materials to those who are not at school physically.”

She added: “However, schools have the flexibility to make decisions on what is possible based in their individual circumstances.”

Now, were all such operational details discussed with TTUTA?

Vaccinated Forms 4, 5 and 6 students are expected to attend classes tomorrow.

However, given the repeated uneasiness publicly expressed by TTUTA, parents’ fears and the collateral deepening of educational inequity, the ministry will be well served if it calls in TTUTA as early as next Wednesday for a detailed consultation on moving forward. As a critical institution in the country’s development, the ministry should not wait to see who will blink first.

This is a matter far beyond the minister and TTUTA. Even in normal virus-free conditions, the education system faces serious challenges. Having the teachers on board with the ministry will go a long way in alleviating some of the problems.

The ministry can think about doing it. But it is the teachers who will have to do it.

Social media is busy with divided opinions. There was this interesting comment last Thursday by Joel Julien: “If you decide to approach a person in a disrespectful manner, then you should expect disrespect in return.” In a different mood, Rish Ramoutar posted: “Hope you spoilt brats taking no pay blackout too.” And Judith Beharry: “Let’s stop the fighting and see how we can work together to deal with the scourge.” Brian Woods: “On one hand, the Ministry of Education boasting that they brought out thousands of non-vaccinated students to do CSEC and SEA but now they are insisting that the unvaccinated children be left behind – hypocrisy.”

This is how the lack of institutional leadership instigates civic turmoil and division.

Talking to some principals last week, I found strong consensus about the pressures from curriculum adjustments and time-tabling that in-class and online teaching will bring.

One said: “I have Forms 4 and 5 with a total of 210 students but with only 25 vaccinated. What will the other 185 do? Must children suffer opportunity when parents don’t let them take the vaccine?” Another principal said the ministry should remember how well teachers prepared all Forms 5 and 6 students last year for their exams.

Now while the dispute between the ministry and TTUTA goes on, and from what I gathered, the “prestige” and fee-paying private schools are having face-to-face teaching. Once again, their largely-vaccinated teachers and students are seizing the advantage.

The ministry should stop the blackout now by having an enlightened partnership with TTUTA.

Prof Deosaran was a member of the Teaching Service Commission and chairman of the JSC to inquire into the TSC.