The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

TEACHERS at Thelma Gibson Primary School walked out of classes yesterday in anger after an alleged altercation between the school’s principal and a teacher a day earlier.

Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) president Belinda Wilson said the teacher has made a police report and the majority of the teachers at the school support her.

When The Tribune visited the campus in Elizabeth Estates yesterday, several teachers were seen standing near the school’s gate, calling for the principal to be removed.

Yesterday, CSP Chrislyn Skippings confirmed that a teacher at the school has filed a complaint, but said she did not know the specifics of the report.

On the sidelines of an event yesterday, Mrs Wilson explained teachers were outside the campus because they are “in fear for their lives” as a man working on the campus allegedly made some “threatening remarks toward them in support of the principal” on Monday.

“The teacher has made a police report (regarding the altercation),” Mrs Wilson said. “The union’s lawyers will be getting that report from the Elizabeth Estate Police Station today. The teacher will not drop the charges. She will stick to it. She is supported by the majority of the teachers at the school and in fact, we’ve had numerous complaints and concerns about Mrs Daxon.”

She said this is not the first issue the union has had with the school’s principal Olivia Daxon.

“. . .So, we hope, I’ve sent a full report to everybody actually to the minister, the permanent secretary, the minister of national security, the union’s lawyers last evening, very late last evening, along with a petition that has a number of signatures not only of teachers and teachers aides, but staff on the campus and parents. So we hope that for the smooth operations of Thelma Gibson Primary School that the Ministry of Education will see fit to remove Mrs Daxon.”

In a separate interview, Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin explained reports have been submitted, one late Monday evening. They are being reviewed with a view to understanding what the issues are and to bring quick resolution.

However, she did not know the specifics of the claims.

“Yes, I’ve heard that there’s an issue at Thelma Gibson and we have asked for reports from BEMU, which is the managers union, which represents principal, and from BUT, which represents the teacher or teachers who are engaged in or involved in any concerns or disputes and we are analysing those as we speak.

“The incident was yesterday, we got them, I think, late last night. And so the ministry will determine the best way forward to be. We cannot afford disruptions. I’ve just explained that in such detail. We cannot afford disruption. The greatest levels of absenteeism, we saw based on the statistics that I saw, came from primary schools. This is very serious.”

Asked if the principal was barred from entering the school, the minister replied: “I have no information on the specific details other than the report that we have gotten and that is under review.”

The BUT president was asked about teachers being outside and went on to explain what they have been asked to do.

“The teachers are outside the campus because they are in fear for their lives. Because there’s a gentleman that’s working on the campus who allegedly made some threatening remarks toward them in support of the principal yesterday,” Mrs Wilson said.

“So, the teachers are in fear for their lives - they’re threatened. So we’ve asked them to gather together, make sure to sign in and gather together, stay together until the union is able to get there to assist them. And we’ve asked them to sign out at 12 noon and go home for their safety.”

While at the school, The Tribune saw a group on campus inside the school gate. Police were also present on the scene.

Mrs Wilson said teachers at the school have had “enough”.

“They’re tired of being mistreated and spoken to in a condescending manner and treated unfairly. So it happens that the day that they were to present the petition and the grievance to the principal, this incident happened,” she claimed.