Hon. Walwyn putting cart before the horse - Parent
Minister for Education and Culture, Honourable Myron V. Walwyn made the most recent announcement while speaking at the Elmore Stoutt High School’s graduation ceremony on June 27, 2013 and had named three schools to pilot the programme from September 2013.
The schools selected are Althea Scatliffe Primary School, Bregado Flax Educational Centre and Elmore Stoutt High School.
"Within this coming school year we will be implementing school boards at a few pilot schools across the Territory; Elmore Stoutt High School (ESHS), Bregado Flax Educational Centre (BFEC) and Althea Scatliffe Primary School (ASPS). These boards will assist in the overall management of our schools ensuring that issues are resolved faster, the day to day management is more efficient, our teachers have the opportunity to focus on teaching and students are allowed to attend a school that is properly managed. Properly managed schools have proven to produce top student performers and that is exactly what we want for our children," the Minister had said.
Contacted by this news site, principals, teachers and parents of the schools chosen to pilot the initiative gave mixed reactions to the implementation of school boards. Most of the parents and teachers with whom this news site spoke said they were hearing of this development for the first time from us.
A parent said, "Look this is another thing they want to use to put money in their people’s pockets. They claiming how VIP left the country broke and they haven’t got money and all they doing is finding ways to spend more money. The next thing you going to hear is a hundred thousand dollar-dinner for board members because they give voluntary service. I know they would want to use the volunteer word but they will still have to give those board members a stipend or something thing," said a parent who disagreed with the proposal. She added, "Let them high heels and bow tie and shirt officers in Education Ministry get up from their behinds and do their works. Boards are for private schools I don't know any government school in the Caribbean with a board system and if they are I bet my last dollar it’s a mess because the Ministry would stick their noses where they don't belong."
There were two teachers from the primary division of Bregado Flax Educational Centre, a parent and a teacher from ESHS, and a teacher of the ASPS who all had similar views. One teacher even said, "The Minister putting the cart before the horse and that's the problem I have with this government. They do things highhandedly. I listened to Myron at the graduation and when he spoke of it, you know it’s a decision that is concrete but how could you when you haven't even brought this to the parents as yet. I bet you no principal has any official document from him about this and this school year done. Nonsense man, they got to start doing things the right way," said the emotional woman.
"You see all this bashing of NDP and VIP...I don't necessarily like it because we are one people but looking at it the NDP really messing we up now that they in government. They just keep doing things highhanded and this board thing going to bring a bigger fight among we people because I know they going to put their cronies and this thing got teeth a telling you," said a parent who chose only to be named as Mr Melville. "They will know who I am still but I have a right to democracy but I don’t want anybody messing with my children so you use that name alone," he added.
"Well it’s sad that we have to be hearing of this through you. This was never discussed with us and we are at the end of the school year already," said a teacher of the Bregado Flax Educational Centre. She, like most of the others, said that the initiative is a good one and would provide a channel for quick response to matters of the school.
"The bad part of this is that they would want to throw this suddenly on us, putting who they want, their own people and that's my problem," said another parent. He said that while he supports the idea, the Education Ministry’s personnel need to call a meeting of parents to discuss the composition of the Board of Directors, their roles and responsibilities and who will do what," he opined.
Ms Maduro, a parent, said she was against the idea of schools boards for government schools. "The school here (Virgin Gorda) going very well as it is under the present administration and they should leave it as it is because they going to put a board and they are going to be nothing but a rubber stamp because the Ministry will still micro manage and that's not an opinion it’s a fact," she said.
The issue of micro management was a concern to almost everyone but on the other hand there were those who went for the idea. "I really think it’s a good move because Education Ministry is a big one with the responsibility of all the schools and because of that matters that are taken to them usually have to go through a very long process and most time has to be dealt with collectively and not as an individual situation," said the Principal of Althea Scatliffe Primary School, Mrs Marieta Flax-Headley.
She also said that while she supports the move, there needed to be work done earlier to ensure a smooth introduction of the new system. "The Minister did tell me that my school will be one since earlier this year at a heads meeting. Since then I haven't had any further details, I haven't received any official document, we had no further meeting to discuss this and then if this will have to be in place for September it means a lot of work would have to be put in during the holiday break. They really needed to have this earlier," said Mrs Flax-Headley.
She shared her opinion on how she felt the board should be composed and as expressed by parents themselves, a meeting of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is urgent.
Mrs Flax-Headley said each school is unique and so are some issues they may have and hence board system will allow for those issues to be dealt with in a timelier manner than it is currently being done under the Education Ministry.
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20 Responses to “Hon. Walwyn putting cart before the horse - Parent”
1. You all say the Government has no money, yet your trying to find more ways to give away what you don't have, sounds like crazy talk to me, cause we all no a bankrupted Government is no Government at all, we elected you to do good for the country, to think smarter to come up with solutions to the problems, not throw money at it and hope it will solve itself. Are you Government officials or Bad Accountants.
2. Respect is key, you all want people to respect you and your decisions, yet your constantly doing things without speaking with or waiting to hear any feedback from the people that elected you who are also your clients, muchless your own employees. We didnt elect you so you could do what you want, we elected you to help the community, so listen to us for once, to find out what our issues or problems are, is it too much to give the community that elected you some respect?
We can do better yes but can you?