Teachers to return after airing grievances

TEACHERS AT Charles F. Broome Memorial Primary School are expected to resume duties today following talks yesterday to address safety and access concerns that led to Monday’s disruption of classes.

Deputy Chief Education Officer Julia Beckles confirmed that officials from the Ministry of Educational Transformation met with the principal and staff from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to hear their grievances, which centred on traffic management around the school and the difficulties teachers face entering and leaving the compound each day.

On Monday, parents were called to collect their children at the Government Hill, St Michael school around midday after staff reported feeling unwell – an action believed to be linked to mounting frustration over traffic congestion and safety concerns – prompting ministry officials to launch an investigation.

Beckles said teachers lamented that the situation had been deteriorating for some time, with frequent confrontations involving motorists and parents. Matters came to a head last week when a teacher was reportedly confronted by an irate driver.

Irate driver

“We have been advised that the treatment of a colleague last week by an irate driver was the last straw. They have experienced many days of being abused verbally and having to deal with inconsiderate drivers who block the exit of the school, who block up the sidewalks, and who refuse to move when they need to leave because they too, have their own children to pick up or their own business to conduct,” she told reporters.

She added the meeting gave the ministry valuable insight into the realities faced by teachers and support staff on a daily basis.

“Now that we’ve heard from them, we are in a better position to understand the matters with which we are faced. We are the employers of the teachers and support staff, and therefore, it is instructive for us to understand what they are experiencing.”

Following the meeting, ministry officials conducted a walk-through of the compound and surrounding areas with members of the Health and Safety Committee to get a first-hand look at conditions.

“Seeing is believing. Having done that, we can safely say that the concerns raised by our colleagues are valid. They do have grounds for concern, and we are certainly troubled by the fact that they are having challenges exiting and entering their place of work,” Beckles said.

The Deputy Chief Education Officer said many solutions were discussed, including working with other Government agencies to ease congestion, and the ministry would review the options.

“We will put our heads together with other members of our team at the Ministry of Educational Transformation and look at the best way forward.”

First vice-president of the Barbados Union of Teachers, Julian Pierre, who attended the meeting, said the discussions were cordial and productive.

Internal issues

“Staff had the opportunity to air their views, their concerns, their fears about the current situation at the school regarding the traffic, as well as a number of other internal issues,” he said.

Pierre noted the ministry promised to address the issues raised as soon as possible, but in the interim, he urged parents to exercise patience and mutual respect.

“We, as a union, are appealing to parents. We are only human beings, we understand that you want to drop off and pick up your children, but let us all be respectful of each other. Persons want to get in and out of the drive-in, and we’re asking parents to cooperate with staff and other parents in the meantime until something is done about the situation at the school.”

Pierre revealed that teachers complained about instances of verbal abuse from frustrated parents, and called for greater consideration for school staff.

He said discussions are expected to continue with The Barbados Police Service and the Ministry of Transport and Works to explore options for improving traffic flow in the area.

“The solutions put forward mainly involved reducing traffic congestion, and there will be a meeting with The Barbados Police Service and other stakeholders to look at how best to manage the flow of vehicles near the school.”

Pierre said while no specific timeline was given for implementing corrective measures, the ministry acknowledged the urgency of the situation.

He added that as far as the union was aware, the school is expected to reopen today. (CLM)

(second right) listening attentively, while staff of Charles F. Broome Memorial Primary School point out areas of concern yesterday morning.

(Picture by Haroon Greenidge.)