PRESIDENT OF THE Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) Mary Redman was in a questioning mode at the union’s annual general meeting this morning.
The question of the day was whether the stance taken by the Ministry of Education on the impasse between the BSTU and the Caribbean Examination Council on the issue of compensation for the marking of School Based Assessments, is related to the more than ten-year battle at Alexandra School which faded out at the end of 2012 with the transfer of more than 40 teachers from schools across the island.
Her questions stemmed from reports reaching the union of what allegedly came to light during last week’s meeting between members of the Barbados National Council of Parent-teacher Associations (BNCPTA) and the top brass of the ministry.
She also wondered whether that meeting was the cause of the “modified” position of president Shone Gibbs. Prior to the meeting at the ministry Gibbs told members of the Press he was satisfied that, although the BSTU had taken a decision not to mark the final draft of the SBAs, the teachers would do nothing to jeopardise the children . Exactly one day after the meeting he was calling on teachers to maintain the status quo for this year in the interest of the children. (YB)
