Carlton E. Francis Primary School enters third week of protest

Carlton E. Francis Primary School enters third week of protest

NASSAU, BAHAMAS- A group of teachers at Carlton E. Francis Primary School yesterday continued their third week of protest against the school’s sitting principal Olivia Daxon.

The teachers demonstrated outside the school’s gates while holding signs and singing hymns.

Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) Area Vice President Vernon Rodgers said: “The teachers who have stand up against the principal have been given letters of redeployment.

“We wish for those letters to be rescinded. They did not ask for redeployment.

“They just stood up against an unjust principal. These are their rights.

Rodgers said: “If they feel like their rights are being infringed upon, they have a right to speak, they have a right to protest, they should not be victimized and given letters of redeployment.

“This issue is still in the minister’s hands.

“We wish for the minister to properly address it, so that these teachers of Carlton Francis can return back to their classroom, back to their students who wish to have their teachers back.”

The teachers have expressed a laundry list of concerns at the school, but poor leadership and a lack of respect topped the list.

Seven teachers have been given redeployment letters but the BUT said all of the teachers are standing in solidarity with each other.

BUT Acting Vice President Tiffany Burrell-Roberts claimed the Ministry of Education has not been communicating with the union.

“We haven’t gotten any response,” she said.

“We [are] still awaiting a meeting from them, until then we will stand by our teachers.”

She added: “We want to encourage the ministry to make this process a speedy one. Our teachers are ready to go back to their classrooms are ready to work.”