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Tim, TTUTA official clash on school compound (with CNC3 video)
Published:
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Education Minister Tim Gopeesingh and T&T Unified Teachers Association’s second vice president Orville Carrington clashed yesterday while on tour of the Cunupia Secondary School. The heated argument began as the minister was about to leave the compound when he was confronted by Carrington.
Carrington objected to Gopeesingh’s blaming of teachers for the school’s indiscipline and high absenteeism of teachers. Goopeesingh said teachers were taking too much time off and that he intended to report the matter to the Teaching Service Commission. He promised he would meet with TTUTA for further talks.
But Carrington said: “Gopeesingh’s accusation was inappropriate because teachers have been staying away from school because of violent students.” He said teachers feel threatened and some students have been victims of crime on the compound by students.
Carrington said some parents have resorted to bringing charges against students in the court and there was a lack of proper management of the students relating to discipline and crime on the compound. In a release yesterday TTUTA condemned what it describes as a display of arrogance by the Education Minister towards the teachers of Cunupia Secondary School.
TTUTA said the minister chose to ignore that each of the students concerned has had numerous suspensions from the school and the ministry of education has not provided any avenue or made any interventions to effect behaviour changes in these students. The ministry, TTUTA said has not sought any adequate dialogue with stakeholders to bring about a solution.
TTUTA said the minister “exploded in a tirade of insults, abuse and threats directed at the teachers over the school’s public address system, which was heard by neighbouring households, much to the shock and dismay of teachers and students.” The union is reminding the minister that teachers who stay away from the school for safety reasons are protected by law and they will not be bullied into putting their lives at risk.
“TTUTA will repel any attempt to take action against any of these teachers,” the union said.
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