The Tribune

THE Bahamas Union of Teachers said it is “sick and tired” of the rhetoric from the Ministry of Education, calling on officials to rectify the long-standing issue of teacher shortages.

In a voice note released yesterday, BUT President Belinda Wilson said the excuses about the issue have become intolerable.

“The problem of teacher shortages is highlighted every year by the Bahamas Union of Teachers,” she said yesterday.

 “There are teacher shortages that exist throughout The Bahamas and the Ministry of Education is full of excuses that (are) now intolerable. Students are expected to sit examinations in a number of weeks. Patrick J Bethel High School in Abaco, they are still awaiting sufficient teachers for them to be able to go fully face-to-face and for students to be provided and able to have all of their subjects taught.

 “Huntley Christie in North Andros, they had a teacher shortage for a while. We are just tired of the talk, talk, talk from politicians without policy changes, without changes to bureaucracy, the teacher shortage will continue to exist.

 “We have graduates from the University of The Bahamas who are still awaiting placement from last year, May 2021. We have teacher’s aides who we have currently in our schools, who have attained degrees and who have been certified and are still awaiting reclassification.”

 She added: “We need the teachers and we need them now.”

 Education officials have promised to address the issue.

 Last week, Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin said her ministry has recruited a number of trained and retired teachers to assist with staff shortages on Abaco. She spoke days after teachers on the island demonstrated over the situation.

 According to Mrs Hanna Martin, the ministry will only be engaging retired educators until more teachers can be permanently hired by the government.

 While she was unable to say how many teachers will be engaged, Mrs Hanna Martin said it was her hope that this new “injection” of workers will help reduce some of the strain many teachers at Patrick J Bethel High School were facing.

 “As you know, we’ve been experiencing teacher shortages at that school,” the minister told reporters before going to Cabinet last week. “That’s a legacy issue and we’ve been seeking to address it and the engagement of teachers is underway through the public service system, but in the interim, we have recruited what we call supply teachers who are trained, experienced teachers - some of whom are already retired and have agreed to come back.

 “And we expect that during the course of that week, that school will begin for the first time face-to-face instruction in a phased basis starting with grade 12 on, I think, Wednesday and Thursday and building with the other grades so this is a great breakthrough for the children, teachers and the community that surrounds that school – Patrick J Bethel.”

 Teachers, parents and students gathered outside the PJB High School about two weeks ago with picket signs protesting the lack of sufficient teachers at a school of more than 500 students.

 Weeks earlier, a group of parents in South Abaco held a similar demonstration in protest of the lack of teachers at James A Pinder Primary School.