WE?COULD?BE?CYNICAL and declare that things have gone back to normal at The Alexandra School – at least, back to square one: the 30 or so aggrieved teachers are back on strike, and students are about to hurt again.
Clearly, the striking teachers and their Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) representatives will have nothing less than principal Jeff Broomes’ “separation” from the school. They see no end to the multiple issues they say they face, unless he is gone.
But it seems Mr Broomes is made of sterner stuff and is packing a powerful punch, feared in other quarters.
He has the advantage of a letter of appointment as principal of The Alexandra School, a state and position that are not to be unwisely trifled with. He is among a select number of principals with that distinction. As such, Mr Broomes, as we have been advised, cannot be transferred – furthermore removed – without his own consent.
There has been much speculation on whether these points came up on Tuesday evening during the four-and-a-half-hour-plus meeting between Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and the aggrieved Alexandra teachers at Government Headquarters. The Prime Minister may have become aware of this quandary while giving his pledged “daily and weekly attention” to the “troublesome, stubborn issues that [have] bedevilled [Alexandra] over the last few years”.
If such crossed BSTU head Mary Redman’s mind, it would not have been comforting to the teachers’ representative, who publicly stated again and again that she was expecting to hear from the Prime Minister what he had promised.
She argued that the teachers had cooperated, and negotiations done in good faith with the Prime Minister, and only one resolution could reasonably be reached – “separation” of Mr Broomes from them.
Although not a word was forthcoming on the nature of that Tuesday evening discussion from any of the players in this last rounds of talks with the Prime Minister, it is obvious now that the teachers are not satisfied.
The touted proposal that Mr Broomes would remain at the school for the rest of the term, and whatever action taken would come during the summer break is said to be untenable, as far as the BSTU is concerned.
There would seem to be an inflexibility from the striking teachers of The Alexandra School, which is sure to cause students and their parents much anxiety. But to be fair, the question must be asked: what indeed did Prime Minister Stuart promise them?
Has he lived up to his promise, or has he failed them? Reports are Mr Stuart will address in short order this gripping circumstance. Can we hope the Alexandra debacle will go away any time soon?
Is a cooling off period too much to ask for?
Phase one, or phase two, Prime Minister, it is finally over to you!
