Chief Education Officer Laurie King said yesterday it would not be correct to say that Alexandra School principal Jeff Broomes hired anyone, since he could only make recommendations.
On the third day of the Commission of Inquiry into the school’s industrial dispute, King said there must be a clear vacancy, the position should be advertised, interviews conducted by the school’s board of management and a report submitted to the Ministry of Education.
The Chief Education Officer then approved the recommendation, King said in response to questioning from attorney for the commission, Michael Yearwood.
He also noted that the teachers listed as those Broomes hired without consultation – Carl Padmore, Fiona Joseph and Cassandra Leslie – had been hired in 2003, 2008 and 2005 respectively, and were therefore not a real issue when the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union listed it among their grievances regarding Broomes in 2010. (RJ)
