It has always been argued that teachers are highly paid, and don't need a salary increase. While that may be the belief of many individuals, it is not the case of some teachers. Some of us are not classed as high as others and as such do not receive as much in our salary.
That being the case, I tried to supplement my salary by teaching afternoon classes for the National Open School of T&T's (NOSTT) distance learning programme. All NOSTT teachers sacrifice many hours a month with their families to educate citizens, but unfortunately while we have kept up our side of the agreement, the Government has not been paying us in a timely basis.
To this day, we have not been paid for January to May. It has been said that it's a supplement to our salary and we should not complain about delays in payments. But if someone does a job, they should be compensated. I have my family to see about and I also have to buy supplies and books for my children for school. Every little dollar counts around this time and most families can attest to that.
I appeal to Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh to please listen to the cry of NOSTT teachers to have this situation resolved as soon as possible, so we to can provide for our families.
A Persad
Barrackpore