Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports Ms. Rhoda Arrindell held a press conference to discuss the issue of school not being held because of the absence of the teachers as they are on strike.
The following is the audio and written format of her press statement at the confence:
Press Statement
Hon. Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports, Rhoda Arrindell
Minister’s Press Briefing
Monday, January 31, 2011
Given the recent developments regarding the actions taken by the teachers’ union WITU and its membership, which has resulted in three days of children not being able to receive education, which is their basic right, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Youth Affairs wishes to hereby state as follows:
1. The Ministry met with representatives of all school boards today, January 31, 2011, and the following decisions were unanimously adopted:
2. All parties reaffirmed the principles of no work, no pay, and in this particular case, this takes effect, today, January 31, 2011.
3. Students are supposed to be in school during school hours, in accordance with the law on Compulsory Education.
4. According to ILO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers, Article III.6, "Teaching should be regarded as a profession: it is a form of public service which requires of teachers expert knowledge and specialized skills, acquired and maintained through rigorous and continuing study; it calls also for a sense of personal and corporate responsibility for the education and welfare of the pupils in their charge."
5. This means that the rights of the children of St. Martin are being infringed upon by the teachers’ action to meet during school hours.
6. The Ministry respects the rights of the teachers to assemble; however, this should not be to the detriment of the education of children or at the inconvenience of parents.
7. The school boards informed the Ministry that they had not been notified by the union of the action to be taken by the teachers.
8. The school boards expressed the opinion shared by the Ministry that industrial action should be used as a last resort, when all other forms of negotiations have been exhausted, rather than taking action on the spur of the moment, without any consultation with the Ministry, school boards, and other stakeholders.
9. It was also decided that the days lost will be made up to the children before the end of the current school year.
10. The Minister maintains her open-door policy and looks forward to continuing the dialogue between teachers and their representatives in the interest of the education of our children.
