Over the last month, I have been keeping an eye on the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT)/Alma Parris/Parkinson/Jeff Broomes issue. It is very easy to pick a side in this situation and as tempting as it is, I have; I am on the students’ side.
I do believe that the situation between the staff and its leadership is very important and a solution is needed urgently. Maybe it is because of ignorance (in the true sense of the word, lack of information) that I make this statement: I cannot understand why it would take years to deal with the Alma Parris issue. I am also lost as to why for more than 20 years we are “unable” to bring order to the PSV community. Similarly, the situation with illegal vending, squatting and the list goes on. It just seems like this is the Bajan way.
I was once told that when elephants are fighting, it is the grass that suffers the most. These situations playing out at Parkinson and Alma Parris were of high concern to me. First of all, this is CXC and SBA time and given that these two schools receive some of the weakest students from the primary level, they need as much classroom time as possible since they are already starting at a disadvantage.
Additionally, I foresaw the teachers having to return to the classroom without having their demands met just like how the Opposition may have to return to Parliament eventually without having theirs met. The difference here is that if students weren’t aware, they are fully aware now of the tensions between the principal and some of their teachers, and this will affect them. The atmosphere in these schools has to be so uncomfortable and tense, which isn’t beneficial to teachers, the principal or the students. To make matters worse, students will pick a side, creating other problems.
Throughout this entire situation, something was mentioned by Jeff Broomes that should have been of great concern to all Barbadians and parents, yet it seemed like it was ignored. The conversations I heard in person and read online didn’t focus on this mammoth problem and this bothered me and continues to bother me.
In an article in the Nation with the title Principal And Teachers Not Seeing Eye To Eye, a portion of Broomes’ contribution said: “The programme was introduced to correct a situation he deemed unsatisfactory, unacceptable and a misuse of taxpayers’ money with more than 60 per cent of students leaving school each of the past five years with absolutely no certification at all.” He went on to say: “I also could not accept the position of one senior member of the staff that we should simply promote them up and out.”
Since percentages don’t always hit home, let me repeat what Mr Broomes said in my own words. Corey Worrell version: “Something is seriously wrong and makes absolutely no sense that out of 5 000 students who completed school over the past five years, more than 3 000 left with nothing, nada, zilch, diddly-squat.”
What is amazing about these ‘revelations’ shared by Mr Broomes is that none of the protesting teachers nor the Ministry of Education, nor the BUT president Pedro Shepherd, nor PTA head Rhonda Blackman, disputed these claims, challenged them or communicated their concerns in regards to the development. Interestingly enough, it causes us to wonder, if Broomes didn’t become principal at the school, if the public would have known about this ongoing problem.
This pronouncement by Mr Broomes is so serious that it should cause us to ask the following question: If this is happening at Parkinson, at what other schools is it happening?
When I first started teaching in the secondary school system, I told a colleague that based on what I was seeing, in ten years (2017) there was going to be lots of robberies and violence in this country. Why? Because thousands of children leaving school with nothing but wanting everything. As a result, they will do what they have to do to get.
I have so much more to say on this situation but I will end by saying to the PTA president, the code of discipline is not for Jeff Broomes only, but all those it governs.
• Corey Worrell is a former Commonwealth Youth Ambassador. Email coreyworrell@gmail.com