PM honours teachers’ invaluable service to Trinidad and Tobago

PRIME MINISTER Kamla Persad-Bissessar says her government is committed to empowering teachers by providing equipment, training and a positive environment to support teachers as they provide an invaluable service to the nation.

In her message commemorating World Teachers’ Day on October 5, she said the future of the nation rested on their wisdom, dedication and compassion, and will place teachers at the centre of education reform in Trinidad and Tobago.

“True reform depends not only on legislation but also on the daily courage of teachers who enter their classrooms with patience and hope. My government is therefore committed to empowering them by equipping every Form 1 class with laptops and digital tools; expanding book-grants and school-meal support; introducing AI-assisted early-childhood screening to reach every learner; investing in continuous upskilling and mentorship networks to strengthen teachers’ professional growth; and prioritising professional learning communities and safe, modernised schools that foster collaboration and innovation.”

The theme of World Teachers’ Day 2025 is Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession, and Persad-Bissessar said it built on the 1966 ILO/Unesco and 1997 Higher Education Recommendations upholding teachers’ rights and dignity, as well as the call by the 2024 UN High-Level Panel to end teacher isolation through stronger collaboration.

She said the theme reflected her belief that education thrived through partnership, shared responsibility and solidarity.

“Teaching was my first calling and remains my guiding purpose. Long before entering public life, I taught in schools in Trinidad and Jamaica.

“I still recall the quiet spark of triumph in a child’s eyes as understanding dawned, a lasting reminder that every child needs a champion, and every teacher deserves respect, support and the freedom to thrive as part of a strong professional community.”

She thanked teachers for their resilience and the sacrifices they made as they “carry the torch of nation-building.”