'58 teachers facing charges'
Molestation, fights, abuse, misconduct...
By Miranda La Rose
Story Created: Jan 12, 2011 at 12:50 AM ECT
(Story Updated: Jan 12, 2011 at 12:50 AM ECT )
Fifty-eight teachers are facing disciplinary charges before the Teaching Service Commission's disciplinary tribunal for offences ranging from fights with pupils to being arrested and charged for buggery with a male pupil in the same school, Minister of Education Dr Tim Gopeesingh said yesterday.
The disciplinary charges include general "misconduct in schools, fights with students, court charges, conspiring to pervert the course of justice, pornographic texts to students, sexual molestation of students, abuse of students, arrested and charged for buggery of male student in the same school, failure to perform lawful duties, wilful disobedience of lawful orders, physical abuse of other teachers and students, and misappropriation of funds", he said at a news conference at his St Clair office in Port of Spain.
Gopeesingh said it was an issue the Ministry has to take up with the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers' Association, Teaching Service Commission and the denominational boards "to look at where we go with discipline".
Gopeesingh, who made his remarks following a three-hour meeting with representatives of denominational boards, said they now have to discuss possible amendments to the Education Act, as it is difficult "to discipline even principals, much less teachers, who are found not to be in sync which their teaching requirements and best practices".
"We have to come up very conclusively and very quickly with some urgent recommendations. Of course the Teaching Service Commission has a role to play," he said, noting that some of the 58 cases were before the tribunal for seven to eight years.
Asked whether the teachers were still in the education system, Gopeesingh said, "Yes. Some have been suspended with half pay, three-quarter pay and some are out of the system. Some may be receiving full salaries while these matters are still awaiting resolution. This is where we need to tighten up with the Teaching Service Commission and the tribunal."
Noting that education stakeholders have to get "very serious with the whole system", he said the information on the disciplinary charges only came to him after he asked. "Now that I have them before me, we would be able to work with the relevant authorities," he said.
Asked what plans are in place to deal with victims of abuse by teachers, Gopeesingh said there was need to improve the management of the victims, as there was no management centre in place for students, particularly those "who have been subjected to a lot of unnecessary and unwarranted behavioural practices in schools".
"I am moving expeditiously to set up centres with the assistance of clinical psychologists and trained people in management of these students... where they could be fully treated and managed with their parents, as is now done in one other country in the Caribbean."
