NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamas Union of Teachers(BUT) President Belinda Wilson yesterday suggested recent statements about the low level of interest to work in the Family Islands were anecdotal and not data-driven as she pointed to systemic issues impacting the demand.
Wilson said Minister of Education (MOE), Glenys Hanna-Martin needed “to get her information correct” after the minister revealed the trend was worsening at a press conference last week.
At an Office of the Prime Minister Press briefing, Hanna-Martin pointed to a reluctance from teachers to take Family Island posts.
“Teachers have requested to be reassigned to the family islands and they’ve been turned down by the Department of Education,” Wilson said.
Wilson explained that conditions for some teachers who have moved to teach on the Family Islands had deteriorated so poorly that they were forced to sleep on another teacher’s floor for shelter.
“Tell me if anyone is going to leave their home after they’ve spent four years educating themselves to go to a Family Island and to be treated as a second-class citizen.
“So the minister needs to get her information correct, and she needs to ensure that her human resource department, her recruitment process, and the accounts department is functioning at optimum level so that they will be able to incentivize teachers who want to go to the Family Islands.”
Wilson said that the greater reason behind the teacher shortage is the slow-paced system at the Ministry of Education, which makes it harder for teachers to get their geographical allowances for living accommodations and necessities.
“There are teachers who have been in the family islands since August and they have not received $1 rent, so the landlord is sending voice notes to them saying ‘We need our money or you have to move, I need my money.’
“So when education improves on their service to teachers, then teachers would be more open to freely say, yes, we want to go to the island but you go into the family island and you cannot get rent, in a timely manner.” be afraid when you go to the family reunions.”
Wilson noted there has been some progress after sending in names of workers to the Department of the Public Service, which issues the stipends, and also to the Ministry of Education, which is responsible for processing teacher documentation.
She said it was done in an effort to prioritize teachers who have outstanding issues, in some cases for years on end.
“Several months ago I turned in, to education and the public service, about 1,000 names of teachers who had various human resource issues pertaining to promotions, confirmation, backpay, etc,” Wilson said.
“And I’m pleased to say that I received, within the last three months, about 650 of those names. And Education now has that list and will be meeting in another few weeks to make sure that they work through the process.
Wilson called for improvement in the ministry’s human resource and accounts department for more timely processing, she added that regarding the shortage of teachers there are still teachers at home who have not been placed.
“I’ve been communicating with the acting director and with the permanent secretary, impressing upon them, urging them to let’s get the teachers that are at home on the job,” Wilson said.
In September, the BUT signed a new industrial agreement with the government increasing benefits, Wilson said since then she has been monitoring it and things seem to be progressing well.
