(Trinidad Express) The nation’s schools were all but abandoned by mid-morning yesterday, the first day of the new academic year, as thousands of teachers heeded their union’s call to “rest and reflect” on the Government’s four per cent wage increase offer.
Yesterday marked the return to physical classes by all school children for the first time in roughly two years, as schools had stayed shut to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Results were also released yesterday for Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) pupils.
But there was none of the “back-to-school” traffic and hyper-activity usually witnessed on the first day of the new term—which also represented the first day of primary or secondary school for thousands of children.
Hardly any school children in uniform were seen in the before and after school hours, as parents and guardians took caution and kept most pupils at home.
As the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) continued its rejection of the four per cent wage offer, the Ministry of Education reported yesterday that, “Based on data received from the Division of School Supervision, at our primary schools today, there was attendance of 16,819 or 17 per cent of students and 1,392 or 27 per cent teachers”.
At the country’s secondary schools, the ministry said 28,738 or 39 per cent of pupils and 1,851 or 31 per cent of teachers attended.
Pupil and teacher attendance was better at denominational schools, with 28 per cent of teachers and 20 per cent of pupils in attendance—while the “corresponding attendance at Government schools was 24 per cent and 12 per cent respectively”, the ministry stated in release.
At denominational secondary schools, “teacher and student attendance was 47 per cent and 68 per cent respectively, while the corresponding attendance at government schools was 25 per cent and 26 per cent respectively”, the ministry said.
Critical return of pupils
“The return of our students to the physical classroom is a critical milestone and its importance cannot be overstated,” the ministry stated yesterday.
“The results of our standardised terminal examinations, SEA (Secondary Entrance Assessment) to a greater extent than CSEC and CAPE, show that there is much work to be done at all levels during this academic year, which continues until July 7, 2023, and much ground to be made up,” it said.
The ministry had noted that “this is the first academic year since 2019/20 that all of our students are returning to classes physically”.
It went on to state that “the cooperation and collaboration between parents, students, teachers, administrators, staff and executive of the Ministry of Education, and all stakeholders is paramount for the transformation of our education system, and our recovery from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic experience”.
The release further stated that, “As our students continue their educational journey tomorrow, Tuesday, September 6, 2022, let us all work with one purpose—the development of the citizens that will take Trinidad and Tobago on a trajectory of success towards the realisation of Vision 2030”.
The statement went on to wish “all students, teachers and principals a productive Academic Year 2022/23”.
