TUTTA warns: Teacher shortage looms in new school term

“FIX education. Get it right.”

That is the petition from president of the TT Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) Martin Lum Kin, as he and denominational boards forecast an acute teaching shortage when the new academic term begins on September 2, owing to a compromised interview process for a new intake of teachers.

The interviews for the positions of teacher one (primary) government schools, have been rescheduled for between August 12 and September 30 by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC). The compromised interviews were conducted between July 17 and 24, by the Ministry of Education (MoE).

While the process will affect government primary schools, Lum Kin pointed out that government secondary schools, as well as primary and denominational boards were facing the same problem.

While boards are still at odds with the TSC over the how the selection of teachers who subscribe to their respective faiths is being done, Lum Kin said the delay in upgrading teachers and filling vacancies would also contribute to a shortage of teachers in all schools in the new term.

Vickram Ramlal, chairman of the Presbyterian Primary School Board confirmed, “Come September, not only will there be no new teachers to put in government schools, but in denominational schools as well.

“With this crisis of no new teachers for the new term, the incompetent TSC is taking six months or more to approve transfers of Teachers 1 Primary. This situation will result in a staffing crisis in the new academic year. The TSC continues to affect the effectiveness of the system by filling administrative vacancies in the teaching service."

It is a concern shared by Secretary General of the Maha Sabha Vijay Maharaj.

On August 2, Lum Kin said, “There should be no class without a teacher. It is now left to principals to find creative ways to ensure children are educated. Children’s education should be priority, but it is not being treated as such.

“Education is an important tool in national development and security as the nation is grappling with violence, indiscipline and security which has infiltrated schools.

“Education is one of the vehicles that can ensure the level of violence is reduced, yet there is a lack of investment. If you are not investing in education, the situation would only get worse.”

In addition to a teacher shortage, he said student intake was increasing while funds to schools were decreasing.

“Educators are challenged to merge two classes into one and teachers who are doing the duties of administrators are not able to deliver the curriculum.

“Teachers are not being upgraded and vacancies left from retirement, resignations or deaths are not being filled.”

Ramlal said there were at least 30 people acting in the position of principals across their 72 primary schools.

Maharaj also stated the Maha Sabha had 15 acting principals at the primary level which was putting a strain on curriculum delivery.

He said some teachers were conducting after-school classes to make up.

When it comes to the vacation repair programme, Lum Kin said up until two weeks ago, TTUTA could not get a list of schools to be repaired during this period.

He was subsequently informed only schools with critical infrastructure problems would be addressed, causing him to ask what about schools on the brink of becoming critical.

“These factors are causing the nation’s children to suffer. If resources are scarce, I believe government could draw down from the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund for this purpose. I doubt people would have a problem with this money being used to invest in education.”

Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly in a WhatsApp response said arrangements were being made to ensure a shortage did not happen.

“The TSC is engaging their process for teacher recruitment at Government Primary Schools. The MoE will be working with the 75 schools that have vacancies and will come to an appropriate arrangement to ensure that all classes are covered until the work of the TSC is complete.

“This may involve internal school arrangements or the use of substitute teachers, depending on the school. Denominational schools have an existing order of merit listing, which they can use to fill vacancies at this time.”

Lum Kin said teacher ones for government-run primary schools were sorely lacking.

He was at pains to understand the rationale for candidates to be reinterviewed, when the selection could have been done from the pool already interviewed.

He said he was told the TSC wanted upgrades to take place before bringing in new applicants, as teachers had been waiting for years to be upgraded from acting teacher one primary and, to move from one to two.

“I am in total agreement with this, for to have brought in new persons in the system before approving the upgrade of those who are already there, would have disenfranchised a number of teachers in terms of their seniority.”

Ramlal agreed, “the TSC’ s decision to now do interviews themselves after those conducted by the MoE has been compromised, is illogical.

“These interviews are scheduled to end on September 30, meaning that there will be no new teachers available for the start of the school term on the September 2.”

With respect to the minister’s comment that denominational boards can use the merit list to fill vacancies, Ramlal explained three months ago they indicated the unsuitability of candidates on the merit list provided.”

Lum Kin, Ramlal and Maharaj all called for a review of the TSC.