Senator slams teachers for 'obscene' lessons for cash

CHAIRMAN of the Parliament's Social Services and Public Administration Joint Select Committee Dr Paul Richards believes it is wrong for teachers asking parents to pay for private lessons for their children, instead of teaching them all they need to know, for free, during school hours.

Independent Senator Richards was speaking during a virtual meeting between the JSC and education stakeholders on January 29.

Government senator Avinash Singh said the committee had received reports about curriculum overload in schools causing stress and burnout in students and contributing to their academic under-performance at the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examination.

Singh asked if there was a correlation between curriculum overload in schools and teachers holding private lessons outside normal school hours.

"You hear all the time that students complain that teachers tell them, 'Well, if you don't get it in school, see me after.'"

Singh asked if there is a policy or "ethics at school for teachers to let their students come to them after hours of school to present the curriculum so these students can pass the exams."

National Council of Parent Teacher Associations (NPTA) president Walter Stewart said Energy Minister Stuart Young, who is tipped to succeed Dr Rowley as prime minister, recently spoke about the relevance of the curriculum to students.

"We can change the curriculum at all levels."

But he added if educators are not able to deal with and deliver the curriculum, "We can shift the curriculum several times and still not get the effect that we want to."

Singh said in some cases, these students are asked to pay for extra classes.

Stewart said the issue of curriculum overload on students was connected to teachers' lesson plans.

He asked, "Are the lesson plans properly executed?"

Stewart identified a teacher who able to use "an open-door system" to help his students understand mathematical angles.

While using the curriculum, Stewart continued, teachers have to use it in a way that makes the subject matter relevant to the students in front of them. He said this was important because different students have different learning styles.

Richards asked if the NPTA had done any studies of curriculum overload or has only made anecdotal observations that students are being overloaded.

Stewart said it was the latter.

"We would want to go into a deep dive to be able to show and to prove where the curriculum has been overloaded."

In response to Singh's question about teachers holding private lessons and asking to be paid for them, Stewart said, "I would want to use the word 'mafia' guardedly with regard to the extra classes that parents have to succumb to in order to assist their children with extra lessons or private lessons."

The NPTA, he said, sees no reason why teachers cannot adequately deliver the curriculum in the specified time allotted during regular school hours, and there needs to be some kind of understanding of the reason or reasons why teachers cannot do this.

"I must admit that some teachers do this pro bono (free)."

Stewart knew about teachers who come to school early and work at lunchtime and afternoon sessions before school ends to assist their students with the curriculum.

He said the NPTA applauds these teachers.

But Stewart added, "We really, really would not want to encourage teachers, who as it were, hold back somewhat from the daytime classes and want to resort to making it almost mandatory to attend afternoon private classes."

Richards asked TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) president Martin Lum Kin for his views on teachers charging students for after-school lessons.

Lum Kin disagreed with Stewart's view on teachers "holding back."

OBSCENE SITUATION

He said, "There are factors that would inhibit proper delivery of curriculum at the schools."

He referred to "hot classrooms" as one example which could lead teachers to amend their lesson plans.

But, he said, "TTUTA does not encourage our members into holding back for the sake of having lessons afterwards."

Richards asked him, "What does TTUTA do to discourage it?"

He acknowledged Stewart's point about teachers providing extra lessons free of charge.

But Richards added, "I have heard, on numerous occasions, parents tell me that the teacher told the child or the parent, 'Well, your child didn't want no extra lessons, so that is not my problem.'"

He described this situation as obscene and recalled the Education Ministry had been asked about it in the Parliament.

Richards said the response has been that the ministry frowns on teachers charging students for extra lessons.

But, he added, it is still happening.

"A teacher in a classroom, paid by the state to deliver a curriculum, to be asking for extra money outside to complete the curriculum is obscene."

Lum Kin said, "Once it's outside of the school hours, the ministry will have little jurisdiction in addressing that."

He added TTUTA has advised its members it is unethical for them to ask students to pay for extra lessons outside school hours, but said this was not illegal.

Richards replied, "Yes, they are not breaking any law. But my concern is, what is being done to stop it?"

He agreed with Lum Kin that students' paying teachers for private lessons was unethical.

"It puts parents and children at a great disadvantage."

On teacher shortages, NPTA first vice-president Zena Ramatali said school principals have spoken about teachers being on maternity leave, retired or dead.

She said in these cases, children are left untaught.

"I think that is something that the Ministry of Education and the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) must look at, because I can say as a fact, from visiting schools, there are many schools across the country where there are no teachers. That is nothing that we are making up."

Her comment surprised Richards.

"You are saying there are many schools across the country where there are no teachers?"

Richards asked Ramatali to clarify whether she meant "there are no teachers in the school, or you are saying there is a deficit of teachers in the school?"

He found it surprising there could be schools where there are no teachers.

"No is absolute."

Ramatali corrected her earlier comment to say there was a shortage of teachers in certain subject areas, not schools with no teachers.

She added some parent-teacher associations (PTAs) go so far as to pay teachers to come to school to ensure students are able to pass their examinations.

Lum Kin said while there appears on the surface to be a shortage of teachers, other factors have to be considered.

The TSC is the legal body recognised to hire teachers.

Lum Kin said, "We support the concept of a body that is insulated from political or other interference when it comes to the hiring, firing, discipline, promotion of our teachers, educators in Trinidad and Tobago."

But, he added, the TSC is understaffed and under-resourced, the commissioners are part-time and only meet twice a month.

"They are challenged for filling vacancies and promotion."

He said information flow from the Education Ministry to the TSC about teacher vacancies and related matters is not as timely as it should be.

National Primary Schools Principals’ Association president Monique Scipio-Daniel said principals do what they can to manage teacher shortages in their schools.

But she added, "There is learning loss."

Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools president Sharlene Hicks-Raeburn shared this view.

Scipio-Daniel also said socio-economic problems were the main reason why children drop out of school.