Opinion: SCS in big problems

Dear Editor,

We all know that the SCS has gone through hectic times since August 18th. First we did not have all the teachers in place due to visa regulations etc. In a news letter the director applauded the Dutch colleagues for being here on time (THEY DID NOT NEED A VISA) and acknowledged the fact that others would come soon. Others are those committed teachers coming from other Caribbean islands. Just to remind you that all these teachers were interviewed and screened by the ex-staffunctionaris and ex-board members.

What tells us the present situation?

1. The director is not qualified (see his cv on https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=242230553&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=dueZ&locale=en_US&trk=tyah2&trkInfo=tarId%3A1412822386124%2Ctas%3Aanton%20hermans%2Cidx%3A1-4-4) No experience in being a director, no experience in the academic field, no experience in PRO and no experience with multi cultural teams
2. The Care coordinator is not qualified ( see her cv on https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=42587693&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=YysC&locale=en_US&trk=tyah&trkInfo=tarId%3A1412822706223%2Ctas%3Aelisabeth%20koevoets%2Cidx%3A1-1-1) She has a kindergarten degree and experience and a degree in fashion design and tayloring.
3. The director makes known today that all new teachers from the Caribbean MUST leave because their visas are running out.  This also means that they couldn’t work either. Talk about breaking the law.  So these teachers who, according to the director came to late during the school year, must now leave in order to get their documents in order.
4. Qualification of teachers: the director is not qualified to function as director (missing experience, personal skills, professional know-how, and above all passion for students), the care coordinator is not qualified and experienced as care coordinator/career guidance councilor and student councilor, the art teacher has no teaching degree, the business teacher is here on a four month leave period from Barbados and the Dutch teacher has no experience in teaching the lower and vocational forms.
5. The Academic Dutch teacher, also department leader lower forms and member of the management team has been reported sick leave for the last weeks. No substitution for the exam classes has been organized.
6. The school board has been dismissed and is no longer in function. The commissioner of education Mr. Chris Johnson is now full responsible.
7. The director is no longer member of the task force. Any idea why?
8. The director changes the academic curriculum without permission of CXC which could lead that students can not sit their exams in May
9. The students are demotivated to go to school since they do not feel the drive to attend school
10. The staff had several conflict situations with the director where the director’s decision is law.

I ask you Commissioner Johnson, how can you feel responsible for such a situation where learning is put in jeopardy? How can you justify this towards the students and parents?

Why was it needed to change the pre-holiday situation into this chaos? Has the school board and staffunctonaris been reprimanded on this situation or did you all not see the tidal wave coming after the dismissal of teachers and director in April?

I strongly believe that positions that could not be filled in time were covered with “who ever we can get to keep the public quiet”. Shame on you ex-school board members, shame on you ex-staffunctionaris and shame on you OCW BES for supporting these actions and shame on you commissioner for not standing up and call it to a hold.

The students will suffer from this total miss-management and those teachers who had to leave should have never left. A political game where the weakest pays the price while on TV it is announced we want to have the best for our students and we want to create the best school ever where everyone is safe and have the right to top education. Just propaganda to cover the mistakes made by incompetent people.

Sabaguru