SDMS: New teacher interview process against Concordat

The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS), in a legal letter to the Teaching Services Commission (TSC) on Monday, has raised concerns over the new interview process for the recruitment of teachers for denominational schools. It believes the new process goes against the Concordat.

The SDMS added that if the TSC did not respond by Friday at 4 pm, it would be forced to commence legal action by way of judicial review.

In the letter, the SDMS said while receiving senior counsel advice in March, it received an e-mail from the Ministry of Education with a spreadsheet of 700 candidates to be considered for primary school teaching vacancies. The ministry then invited the denominational boards of management to provide their recommendations for the listed applicants within 21 days.

The letter said, in reviewing the spreadsheet, the SDMS recognised the names of candidates it had already interviewed and submitted for consideration to the TSC. It then chose 70 candidates from the spreadsheet as the SDMS saw no harm in making those recommendations because it was already determined who had an “acceptable moral and religious character.”

The letter claimed the TSC then asked the SDMS to recommend "individuals of exceptional character" to serve on an interview panel for the teaching positions. But the SDMS issued a notice to all principals notifying them of the TSC’s request and advising them not to agree whether approached directly or indirectly.

The letter said the SDMS took the decision because it believed the TSC was attempting to usurp the role and function of the denominational boards – assessing the moral and religious suitability of proposed applicants.

It claimed the TSC was going against the Concordat – an agreement signed in 1960 between the government and religious bodies to determine its own curricula at the denominational schools.

Newsday contacted chairman of the TSC, Elizabeth Crouch, for comment on Monday, but she was not available at the time.