Minister: Teaching Service Commission takes years to interview teachers

THE Teaching Service Commission (TSC) was only now interviewing teaching applicants who had applied years ago, in some cases since as far back as 2007 and 2009, Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly told the House of Representatives on Friday, in reply to an oral question by Tabaquite MP Anita Haynes.

The minister read out various secondary school subjects and the corresponding date of teacher applications that the TSC was now interviewing teachers for, according to data supplied by the Director of Personnel Information (DPA.) She said the TSC conducts interviews in the education system.

Gadsby-Dolly read, "A status of interviews, by the Director of Personnel Information, based on the date of assessment and subject areas is as follows,

"Mathematics - (teacher applications made in) February 2017.

"Natural Science: Chemistry - January 2016; Physics - September 2016; Biology - 2015."

She continued, saying History - January 2018; Social Studies/Sociology - February 2015; POA/POB/MOB/Accounting - June 2009.

For Teacher III posts in POA/POB/MOB/Accounting it was January 2016, Gadsby-Dolly said.

For Teacher II posts in Economics, interviews had been conducted for applications made by to 2007. For Teacher III posts in Economics, it was July 2021.

Gadsby-Dolly said, "English - August 2015; Drama/Dance/Theatre Arts - January 2021; Spanish and French - December 2019; Computer Science/IT - February 2016; Visual Arts - January 2022; Physical Education - July 2018; Music - May 2021; Geography - August 2017; Agricultural Science - February 2019; Home Economics/Home Management - July 2016; Clothing and Textiles - November 2020; Food and Nutrition - July 2015; Technical subject (Electrical, MET and Woodwork) - June 2018; EDPM/Typing/Office Procedures - December 2021."

Haynes asked, "Given that the ministry has overall oversight for the functioning of the education sector is there anything being done on a policy end to ensure that the absolute lag in terms of getting suitable candidates into teaching positions, that that can be corrected so that we have a properly functioning education system?"

Gadsby-Dolly replied, "The dates called here reflects the number of applications that have been lodged with the TSC and have been assessed by the Ministry of Education and are awaiting interviews. So it is not a matter of the Ministry of Education not doing what it is required to do by law.

"The Teaching Service Commission now has to process these thousands of applications, especially with some of the subject areas, which is why they (TSC) would have asked the Ministry of Education to restrict the number of applications, because there are so many applications in.

"The backlog would be at the interview stage because of the number of applications that are in."

Haynes asked, "What is the average time frame between an application being received and an interview being conducted?"

Gadsby-Dolly said there was no average figure but it all depended on the particular subject.

"As you would have seen, some subjects they are assessed and are being interviewed, having applied a very short time ago because there are small numbers of applicants.

"Where there are large numbers of applicants, obviously you're going to have a longer time to wait to get to the interview stage."

Haynes tried to ask the time-lag for primary school teaching applicants but was disallowed by Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George.