TRINIDAD: April 22, 2016: The Ministry of Education and the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Union (TTUTA) have reached an agreement to ensure the effective and smooth execution of the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) 2016.
The assurance comes from the Honourable Anthony Garcia, Minister of Education at a news conference held on Wednesday 20th April, 2016 at the Ministry’s Head Office in St. Clair. According to Minister Garcia, the agreement does not violate a decision taken at TTUTA’s Annual Conference of Delegates, where teachers were told that the supervision of National Examinations is not part of their job description, and it does not fall within theirTerms and Conditions of Services.
He says it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education to ensure that all students who will be writing the examination on May 5th, 2016 do so without any unnecessary burden,“When this was communicated to us, we felt that we had an obligation as the Ministry of Education, to the parents, teachers in the system, students, and to one of our major stakeholders TTUTA, to find some way of compromise, some way of erecting bridges, instead of having division.”
Also speaking at the news conference, TTUTA’s President Devanand Sinanan praised Minister Garcia for his approach in engaging the Association on a wide range of issues in the education sector. He said, “The Minister of Education did contact yours truly and he expressed his concern that he would not like anything to disrupt the smooth running of SEA 2016 and he invited us to sit with him and engage in dialogue and discussion with a view to finding a common ground, which will not compromise the decision of our highest decision making body in TTUTA.”
The agreement made with TTUTA is as follows:
1. The Supervision of the SEA 2016 Examination by teachers will be on a voluntary basis.
2. Vice Principals and Senior Teachers will be required to go to other centres, but those teachers who volunteer to supervise on that day, will remain in their schools.
3. Those teachers who are not involved in the supervision of the SEA Examination can remain at home.
4. Those members of staff who supervise the SEA Examination will be given a subsequent day off.
5. The Principal, in collaboration with the School Supervisors, will prepare the roster for the school.
6. There will be further discussions between the Association and the Ministry of Education to reach a permanent agreement.
According to Minister Garcia, the Ministry of Education sought the advice of the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) on this matter and was advised that stakeholders input must be considered in the process of ensuring the smooth administration of the SEA exams, thus the process was above board.
Discussions on a permanent arrangement for the supervision of National Examinations will be reactivated following the completion of this year’s SEA.
