The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

SANDRA Major, head of a fast growing, breakaway teachers’ union, welcomed the resumption of face-to-face learning yesterday, saying she and her members have “no issues” with the shift.

“The only issue that teachers had,” she said, “was they thought they got the information about schools being reopened late because people had it on Facebook before teachers or the administration had it and I don’t know whose fault that is. The Minister of Education apologised. She said she took responsibility for it because she said it should not go that way.”

Ms Major, a music teacher for 41 years, said the Bahamas Educators Counsellors and Allied Workers Union (BECAWU) was registered in October 2020 and began its membership drive in April 2021. The union’s executives are mostly based in Grand Bahama.

“The membership is really, really growing,” she said.

“All of our members attended school (Monday),” she added. “We have no reason to fight the government if they are willing to work with us. Since the event with the Minister of Education, she has shown the effort to work and we know this is a partnership. In order for education to work, we’re not an island to ourselves. We have to partner with parents, with the government and with the union and all other stakeholders in education. These are our children.”

Ms Major said protocols to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic have been in place and are being followed as far as she can tell.

“Everything that health is asking for, seems to be in place,” she said. “I can’t speak to all of the schools because we don’t have members at all the schools, but all the ones that I know, we have those in place. We asked our shop stewards to make sure of that. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health are saying if they’re not in place, then make sure you tell us. So we’re saying to our members, if the things that the Ministry of Education is asking for has not been done, let us know. We will then call in a respectful manner and say this should be here, we don’t see it so they need to be put in place. If they’re willing to do that and work with us as a union to make this education system better, we’re willing to work with them.”

The BECAWU is sure to draw comparisons to the Bahamas Union of Teachers which, until recently, was the only teachers’ union. For now, the new group appears intent on taking a less militant approach to addressing the concerns of its members. In the lead-up to yesterday’s resumption of face-to-face learning, there was widespread expectation that BUT would take industrial action of some sort. BUT President Belinda Wilson could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Ms Major said: “What we want to see is, we know education has issues. We know that. I’ve been teaching for 41 years. I’ve been here for a very long time. But there is a way to do it. Present your issues, but if people are willing to work with you to make it better, then give them an opportunity to. When they show you something different, that’s when you have to do what you have to do. Working together makes it better. You don’t have to fight everybody all the time on everything. You fight when it’s necessary. We know that teachers are having issues with confirmations, allowances, increments. Teachers need those. But if you’re saying to me we’re going to work with you and you make the effort then this union is prepared to work with you.”