CLINICAL Christian psychologist Reverend Anderson Kellman is predicting a “lose-lose” situation at The Alexandra School as a result of the current impasse between the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) and the school’s principal, Jeff Broomes.
Kellman told the DAILY NATION that the students would be psychologically impacted in a major way because they had clearly aligned themselves to their principal in this matter.
“If Mr Broomes comes out on top in this situation and returns to the classroom at Alexandra, I can see a level of tension between the students and those teachers who took strike action against him,” said Kellman.
“The students will see themselves as being victorious,” he added, noting that this could have a bearing on their respect for the dissenting teachers going forward.
The Nazarene minister and member of the Network Services counselling team also argued that if the striking teachers came out on top and Mr Broomes had to move on – since the BSTU is calling for his separation from Alexandra – then the students “would see themselves as having lost the fight”.
“That, too, can be manifested in how they relate to their teachers afterwards,” added Kellman.
He opined that the aftermath of this industrial action, which had enveloped the entire country, would demand a high level of maturity and dialogue.
“And that tripartite agreement between teachers, students and parents will have to be activated and actualized to a different level if The Alexandra School is to be restored to any level of credibility,” he said.
Recalling the issue of The Lodge School over the dismissal of principal Aurelius Smith in 1981, he said that furore had “tainted” the school somewhat from then until now.
“That’s my concern in this particular case. It will be a lose-lose situation, but the impasse really needs to end quickly so that the work of repairing the damage can begin sooner rather than later,” Kellman said, warning that the escalating crisis could end up in “unnecessary full-scale disruption of the educational system”. (RJ)
