Dear Editor,
Facebook reminds me today that one year ago dozens of teachers including myself were promoted to senior positions. Today, a year later the teachers’ union has still blocked these promotions in the High Court and has stagnated the entire process, handicapping the Ministry of Education from its mandate and functions ‒ for what? Selfishness, and oh yeah, power and ego.
Why couldn’t they pick out those cases that deserved attention instead of preventing every single teacher who was promoted from taking up their position?
The education sector has suffered greatly because of this stagnation over the past academic year and it’s a shame and disgrace. Schools which are soon to close for the summer vacation still have no promotions, no debunching, no uniform money, no increases, and for me, still no vacation (Whitley Council) money. This is the worst the teaching sector has been since I joined 15 years ago.
I applaud the fortitude and courage shown by our Teaching Service Commission and the Ministry of Education in fighting this matter. Frankly I don’t know on whose side the union is at this time; clearly it’s not on the side of the teachers who were promoted, since the union’s actions have not only hurt our professional careers over the past year, but have demoralised us in the discharge of our functions in acting capacities.
Yours faithfully,
Leon Suseran
Graduate Senior Assistant Master
Vrymans Erven High School
