Enter one disgruntled parent:
Teacher makes me unhappy
I am dissatisfied with the Arima Presbyterian School, particularly, the second-year teacher. My son and my niece are in that class.
The school year is coming to an end, and I am disappointed because their teacher has only attended classes for approximately forty per cent of the year.
I spoke to other teachers in the school and was told that over the past few years the second-year division has been the worst ever. The teachers say they have a lot of work to do when these students go to another class.
When I spoke with the teacher, I was told, in front of other teachers and parents, "I do not have time for your stupid kids, I have my business in Tobago."
I found this disrespectful and voiced my concerns to the Ministry of Education. I was told it would be looked into; it has been four months now.
I hope the relevant authorities will take some action in the interest of our children's future.
Daren Sabga
via e-mail
Yes sirree, the teacher has a business in Tobago. Against the law, won't you know? The Civil Service Regulations has not yet been amended (to my knowledge anyway), and it clearly states that civil servants are not to hold second jobs without the written approval of the permanent secretary of the relevant ministry they fall under.
I expect the intention of this particular regulation is twofold:
- To prevent a civil servant from being tempted into corrupt practices such as accepting financial or other rewards to favour any person above others, or to bend the rules. Of course, this is completely ignored by the duncey service and the licensing department, customs etc.
- To prevent such a situation as this, where the civil servant is neglecting her/his job in order to further her/his own private enterprise. Of course, part of it is to prevent state resources from being diverted into personal enterprise as Rowley well knows.
The Ministry of Education is especially lax (as is the duncey service by the way) when it comes to disciplining the flagrant rule breakers who then become a law onto themselves. Do you remember the police officer from Débé who shot his customer in his bar (the duncey's bar, that is) through the mouth for a winning lottery ticket (that the customer had purchased)? He is now promoted.
Perhaps it is time archaic laws in Trinidad are amended so that parents/civilians can take civil action in the courts against teachers like these, or against police officers or army personnel, people who abuse their positions of authority. Instead of laws to create more QUANDOS, or bypass the checking and balancing systems, or to erode our rights further, look at bringing accountability to the people.
Make these advantageous and abusive idiots pay for their actions and misdeeds from their own pockets instead of from our treasury, and punish them according with incarceration if called for. For far too long they have been getting away with murder, literally in some cases.
And perhaps it is also time we publish the names and pictures of these miscreants and shame them (and their families) into some semblance of a human being.
