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Despite ongoing industrial action just eleven days ahead of the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination by one teachers’ union, the Ministry of Education has announced that schools will remain open.
This announcement came from Chief Education Officer Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw during a press conference held at the Ministry’s Constitution Road, St. Michael headquarters this afternoon.
She said she has reached out to the principal of the Erdiston Teachers’ Training College and requested that teachers in training sit with and teach affected students tomorrow.
The Barbados Union of Teachers had given Government an ultimatum to meet their demand of reinstating teachers’ term’s leave by the end of business yesterday, or face two days of industrial action.
Dr. Archer-Bradshaw reported that following today’s action, six schools were affected: Belmont Primary, Arthur Smith, St. Lawrence, Workman’s, Sharon, and St. Jude’s Primary.
She expressed disappointment over how the situation has been handled but praised principals for the way they managed today’s fallout.
Meanwhile, Minister of Educational Transformation, Senator Chad Blackman, says the Government remains open to continued dialogue with teachers regarding the ongoing issue, which dates back eleven years, and is inviting the BUT to return to the table.
He stressed that industrial action should be the ultimate last resort in industrial relations, and noted that negotiations are still ongoing.
Senator Blackman urged members of the BUT to exercise empathy towards the nation’s children.
