Good Day,
This letter serves as a public cry for help in regards to concerns that has been ongoing for quite some time.
I’ve been an educator employed in the Government System for two decades and counting. A few issues that we as teachers face on a daily basis, which I wish to highlight are; Poor Management and Productivity, High Levels of Teacher Transfers, Highly Toxic Environment, Chronic Absenteeism of Teachers, Unrealistic and unreasonable Expectations, Overwhelming workload, Daily Exhaustive Supervision, Continuous Funding requests from students and The Removal of Music as a Subject area, just to name a few.
Over the years, I have worked at 4 different schools and this is by far the worst management I’ve ever experienced. The administration consists of a principle and two deputies, and to be quite honest the three put together does not equate to one. I am not usually one to come to the public to express my frustration, but I feel like I’ve been left with no other choice.
I am of the opinion that I can speak for most Teachers when I say “We are burnt out”.
On this particular school plant, most times it is chaotic. This is where the poor management skills and lack of productivity is most evident. To make matters worse, many teachers were transferred out, majority by request, left on duty/study leave, maternity leave or in some cases long leave or sick leave.
The transfers in, if any at all are not suffice to cover the shortage. This essentially resulted in students being without a teacher sometimes up to 6 sessions in one given day. All teachers that would have “checked out” mostly did so as a means of trying to flee the make-shift, prison-like, toxic environment, that is created by the leadership of this school.
Teachers are often buried in a mountain of responsibilities to include lesson planning, grading and administrative tasks, extracurricular activities related to school, with insufficient resources such as inadequate technology and a lack of classroom supplies and administrative support.
Due to the vast unreasonable expectations of teachers on this school plant, in my opinion the school is faced with a chronic absenteeism of teachers due to being overworked, stressed and spent. On one particular day, up to as much as 15 teachers reported sick or was unable to report for duty. In addition, the teachers that “weather the storm” and push through, are met with a reward of exhaustive supervision which is broadcasted daily.
Supervision has become such a norm, that it has been slotted into teachers’ timetables. So, essentially, the sessions in between sessions that once would have been used for lesson planning and/or just regrouping to go again, are none existent or far and in between. It has also become a practice for administration to assign teachers with supervision duties while the teacher is already themselves engaged in having their assigned class.
In this said moment the teacher is expected to teach, fill the role of a “glorified babysitter” and essentially engage all students at the same time. This is absolutely wrong. As a result of lack of contact time in various subject areas, a parent would have expressed that she would be requesting a transfer for her child to another school as she would have noticed how many classes are missed daily as a result of the lack of teachers.
Another very pressing issue is, almost on a weekly basis a fundraiser of some sort occurs disguised as a mod day. This is where students are allowed to dress up out of uniform and display their personal styles except there is catch, they have to pay to wear their own clothes.
I know when I attended school, I would look forward to these kinds of days, however with the students at this school, not so much. It has gotten to a point that whenever a day like this comes around, the students will opt to stay home.
According to them, “Everything ah money round yah”. It is safe to say that school spirit is non-existent for the majority as the same thing happens when sports week comes around. Upon their return to school, if they are without a written excuse from parent/guardian they will be sent home.
Parents are you not concerned about the contact time your child/children are receiving or lack thereof, when they attend school daily? Don’t you want to know about your children’s progress since the school year has started? If you have not yet visited your child’s school or collected a report, please do so with urgency.
Ask questions and make inquiries. Parents are known to avoid approaching the administration altogether because of fear of victimization, so they accept what is given and walk away defeated. Parents, if you are not satisfied with the responses, agitate for better learning conditions for your child, hold the relevant persons accountable, reach out to the relevant authorities. Speak up and don’t let your child be robbed of an education.
As a country school, I am sure you are wondering which one, music has been very prevalent in this community so much so that a very noteworthy artist once walked the halls and corridors of this said school.
The one thing that would unite everyone was taken away without reason or cause leaving the children at a disadvantage and limited exposure to the artform. It is a shame that Music as a subject area was permanently removed from the curriculum offering.
A dire need of attention needs to be directed to our Education System within this country and I am asking that the Minister of Education, Sports and Creative industries take a close look at the way in which the schools around this country are being mismanaged.
As molders of the young minds and by extension our future, teachers have been undervalued for some time now and if this many continue to leave the profession it is going to cost us our future leaders.
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Ha ha ha ha, minister of education, the director and P.S seems to be related to the management team in this school because the three of them don’t make one either…., they are square pegs in round holes
I don’t have the words to express how it pains me to read this. I have been in education for over 27 years, both in Antigua and in the UK. I’m glad that the author of this article has raised these concerns, but if we are to take the education of our children seriously then we MUST find ways to support the system with appropriate checks and balances. I would gladly offer my services to be part of a wider solution.
I completely agree with everything you’ve said. The lack of adequate planning time for teachers due to constant supervision duties is creating an overwhelming environment that affects the quality of education. Teachers are forced to juggle multiple roles, including that of a “glorified babysitter,” which is simply not sustainable. This not only compromises the teaching experience but also the overall well-being of both teachers and students.
Additionally, the continuous fundraisers disguised as “mod days” are definitely not sitting well with students. What used to be a fun event has now become a financial burden, causing students to lose interest in activities that should be fostering school spirit. The lack of enthusiasm is evident, and it’s concerning that many students prefer to stay home rather than participate.
The lack of communication between management and staff because management thinks not everything staff should know is also alarming. It’s critical that we hold the education system accountable for the learning environment teachers and students are subjected to. The education system needs urgent attention, and it’s time for the relevant authorities to step up and make the necessary changes for the betterment of our children’s future. Teachers are vital in shaping the next generation, and if they continue to be undervalued, we risk losing great educators who could guide our future leaders.
Plenty of these schools are run by saltfish heads.
This letter makes no sense and cannot be addressed as we don’t know which school it is. So what is the sense of writing this long essay? Is this a new guessing game?
Chapter 2 of this letter is CSEC.
Many students are going into exams without even half the syllabus covered. Some teachers do not understand the syllabus and forcible give the students pass papers to cover this. Many give assignments without correcting them. Sometimes the students do not turn these in because they know they would not be adjudicated.
Shall we speak about the SBAs? Some students do not know the contents of their own projects. In so many cases, these are done either by the parents or persons hired to do them.
We have to admit that too many of our young people are illiterate. Hurts to say it, but it’s true.
A very interesting article. The problem(s) of…
A…lack of funding.
B…poor administration!
C…teacher turnover rate, burnout
…unfortunately are common place in Communities which are of [low] income; and, this is mainly due to the tax base of the Community. While, such dynamic may not directly pertain to the local education system in Antigua, Barbuda & REDONDA, it must be realized and recognized, that the COMMUNITY and by enlarge the Nation are the ones which will suffer in the long run.
Education has to be brought under the theme, IT TAKES A VILLAGE! No need to expound, on the Ancestral Cultural norm. This means, that the Community will have to step to the ‘crease’ and face the bowling attack like Sir Vivian Richards. Volunteering is paramount, by members of the community.
Personally, I volunteer at least one hour per week, to read to first graders. I just don’t read a story to them. We engage each other. I relate the essence, of the arts and sciences and their symbiotic relationship. Example, I’ll have them think of a fruit; what letter begins to spell the fruit; next, what shape is the letter which spells the fruit; what shape is the fruit. By doing so, their thought process(es) are relating letters (language – the Arts) to shapes (mathematics – Science).
If, the story is relating to music, musical instruments etc., we dance to the story. Heck the best part about this, I’m learning the new moves of today, because they are eager and willing to teach me what they know!
#RELATIONSHIP_MATTERS!
#WE_RELATE!
#WE_SHARE!
#WE_LEARN!
Each One! Teach One!
Jumbee_Picknee aka Ras Smood
De’ole Dutty Peg🦶🏾Garrat_Bastard
Vere C. Edwards
Well, at the risk of decresing even further the size of an already inadequate teacher presence in our schools. I would suggest first of all that the author of this letter be removed from the roster of “teachers” at least until her communication skills have improved.i am appalled at the poor spelling and grammar contained in this letter to the editor coming from a teacher!
Mr. Minister, has the Ministry of Education sunk so low that our teachers are unable to communicate correctly using proper standard English?? Why are they in the classrooms preparing our children for the next level? Mr. Minister, please leave the wining and feting to another MP so that you can pay prpper attention to perhaps the most important Ministry – Education.We keep scratching our heads year after year wondering why our public primary and secondary perform so poorly as evidenced by their dismal failure year after year especially in Language Arts and Maths
Now, if this whistle blower is to be believed, is the Ministry of Education not aware of the serious shortage of QUALIFIED teachers in our schools? Does the Ministry not have the requisite tools to effectively assess the performance of teachers in our schools – from management to entry-level??? Are teachers so contemptuous of their responsibilities to their students that they show up to work IF and WHEN, and from what I have seen, HOW they please?
I do not subscribe to the view that the problems lie in outmoded curricula at all. Caribbean children for the most part follow a similar curriculum for all subjects at the primary and secondary school levels. The chief problem, I humbly suggest, lies in the management of Education , within the Ministry of Education itself, among the management levels and very much among the ranks of the general teaching body. The management of Education requires a major overhaul, weeding out the dysfunctional, incompetent wondow-dressing from within the Ministry of Education, demanding greater accountability and professionalism from school principals and the teaching staff equally. We need to stop employing people with the bare minimum of academic qualifications. Those who are are found wanting in terms of their love, and commitment to children and young people, get them out asap. We seem to have dropped the ball as far as standards go and it’s time to raise them anew. The author of this letter to the Editor/Public/Government should be encouraged to find another source of employment – clearly not teaching; I suggest perhaps on the field of journalism (Anhigua-style) where sensationalism and careless spelling and grammar are given warm welcome.
Sorry to hear such. Bit a lot of things needs to be addressed concerning our fostering of young minds.
There more to come…more letters more teachers..the union needs a copy too. Everyone needs to stand up. If the bigger heads can’t fix it they must go too… friend n company in position but them can’t handle positions so work carn done. Time to go back to hiring based on qualifications and not friendship which is biggest requirement in MOE jobs these days. Imagine a HOD for a department doesn’t even have a degree in the area. Smh. Years of experience but no interest smh. Principal and assistants don’t have a masters degree shame shame. EO’s bare minimum qualifications and have the jobs and so unprofessional in it. The qualified ones just get overworked and burnt out and leave for better jobs with less burden and stress. The whole darn system messed up smh
We have a tendency in Antigua to transfer the good teachers to the Ministry of Education. Similarly we need to develop a system to choose teachers that would make good principals. Not every successful subject teacher can manage a school plant.
Probably the university of the West Indies could develop a master’s program specific to school plant management.
One system to select principals and other management members could be to have different people act in the role for a term, or a few months or a year at a time, see how it goes with each one then make a final selection.
Years ago under Dr.Quinn’ s or Minister Joseph’s leadership at MOE, the UWI ran a two weeks leadership institute and it died a natural death afterward. That was very intense and authentic as it provided potential school leaders with hands-on skills and knowledge.
Say one say two, ministry has been seemingly employing some wash you foot and come school leaders and teachers over the past 10 years, qualified, experienced or not, and it is hurting the profession.
I sympathize with the letter writer. Running a school plant should not be so complicated. School admistrators/management need to dialogue with teachers to understand the different needs of the different subjects since they are not experts in all these subjects. They need to come up with strategies for obtaining the needed infrastructure, equipment, resources, scheduling, extra personnel that teachers need to feel productive. They can communicate requests to the Ministry and/or ask for volunteers and relevant donations from the private sector and community groups. They can also have a few carefully planned meaningful fundraisers. They should allow staff and students to be part of the planning for greater buy-in, enjoyment, and learning opportunities. I agree that MOD days are not very meaningful and also too frequent. MOD days should not just be about wearing an outfit, there should be some relevant fun and learning activities, foods, music etc. matching the theme of the day. There could be other major fundraisers that engage the public instead of expecting money from students directly such as food sales, concerts etc.