The Tribune

By PACO NUNEZ

Tribune News Editor

HIGH school principals are now authorised to start hiring new coaches to replace those, who in a show of solidarity with the Bahamas Union of Teachers, are refusing to lead after-school activities.

Making the announcement yesterday, Nicola McKay, president of the New Providence Association of Public High School Principals, added that her group stands firmly with Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald in the continuing teachers dispute.

“The fact is, either, you can coach and be paid, or you are free to withdraw your services and not be paid,” Mrs McKay said.

She pointed out that unlike teachers, coaches are actually selected by principals and paid specifically to coach after-school sporting activities.

“As president of the Principals’ Association, I would like to establish the fact that the coaching of sporting activities has absolutely nothing to do with the work-to-rule situation being carried out by some members of the Bahamas Union of Teachers,” she said.

BUT members demonstrated in Rawson Square over a number of issues, including the government’s failure to pay funds owed to them, threatening to step up industrial action if their demands are not met.

Mr Fitzgerald has remained unmoved, saying the government has a payment plan for teachers, but they must be patient as the country is strapped for cash.

Noting that the authorisation to begin seeking new coaches came from Minister Fitzgerald himself, Mrs McKay said: “If they are not teachers, once investigated, vetted, and approved by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, these persons will be engaged to coach, in place of the existing coaches who refuse to coach.”

The association president, who represents the principals of all 16 government secondary schools in New Providence, emphasised that there is no separate coaching organisation.

The association’s constitution names it as the parent body of the Government Secondary Schools’ Sporting Association (GSSSA),” she said.

She said a press conference by the GSSSA announcing solidarity with the BUT on November 22 “should not have occurred.”

Ms McKay said: “Minister Fitzgerald spoke on Thursday, November, 21, 2013. No employee is authorised to speak after the minister has given his mandate.

“Minister Fitzgerald has indicated that ‘the Nation’s Little Darlings will not be used as pawns, and will not be sacrificed.’ I would like to note that if teachers or coaches have a grievance with the present GSSSA executive, they must follow the proper protocols, and that starts with lodging an official complaint.”

To date, she said, the association has received no such complaint.