Dear Editor,
After every four continuous years of service a public-school teacher usually proceeds on Whitley Council Leave (WCL) for a month having satisfied the condition of applying for such leave. Every month, hundreds of teachers across the country proceed on WCL so one would think that by now the process is most efficient and hassle-free, however, this is far from the truth due to the sheer slothfulness of the relevant personnel who also take six months or more to rectify salary issues.
Obtaining WCL has never been a simple process for me; every time I am due, I face hurdles although I was given the impression that it’s an entitlement and not leave that is subject to the whim of officials. I mean, can a teacher who has worked for four continuous years and therefore becomes eligible be denied WCL if a school or regional official dislikes her or feels that she doesn’t deserve it? If this is not a basis for denial, then WCL becomes an entitlement that all eligible teachers should enjoy so why then is the process so complicated? Also, can any school or regional officials defer the WCL of a teacher without her consent?
I became eligible for WCL and applied since last term for my leave to commence 22nd January 2024, yet I have not received my approval letter from the regional authorities. This is not a deferral or unusual request; I’m in fact due to take my leave this month. I commenced teaching in January many years ago and since then have always applied for my leave to be taken in January. Although, I would follow the correct procedures when applying, every time I become eligible it’s a traumatic experience. The first time the HM (at Ann’s Grove Secondary) didn’t want me to take my leave when I was due so I had to contact the Department of Education (DoE), the second time the same HM refused to sign my application so once again I had to contact the DoE now, the application is either ‘lost in the system’ or still processing.
Editor, slothfulness and inefficiency envelops the entire process from the DoE and RDC end. Imagine one must apply six weeks in advance for this leave that hundreds take every month yet after so many weeks the application is still ‘processing’. This process shouldn’t take more than a few days because the relevant entities should have records including appointment dates, last WCL date, years of service etc, of all public-school teachers in the region. Yet, when one applies for WCL one has to attach a copy of the last WCL approval letter and now first appointment letter to the application. In other words, one has to rummage through their drawers for a single sheet of paper that was given four years ago (last WCL approval letter) and delve even further for another single sheet of yellow, mildewed, book-worm eaten paper that they collected 15 or 20 years ago because the competent employees at the RDC cannot bother to log into their system or search through their file cabinets for this information. These employees would refuse the application of a teacher who doesn’t attach these documents.
Editor, I submitted my completed WCL application along with the copies of the documents the people processing the application already have at hand. I now await my long overdue approval letter. And at the same time, I see the entire process as cumbersome and inefficient; there is much room for improvement. The relevant authorities need to improve their record keeping systems and focus on efficiency, they should know the information of those in their employ. Hopefully, someone (the CEO possibly…) who is open to change and innovation implement measures to make applying for WCL a hassle-free process.
Sincerely,
Nerissa Deokarran
Annandale Secondary School
