BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, June 16th 2014 (TUCOM):-Speaking to hundreds of people at a Rally on Bank Street, Team Unity’s Leader Dr the Hon Timothy Harris told the huge crowd that Team Unity had met recently with the Teachers Union’s Executive. Based on their discussions, Dr Harris expressed public regret at the terrible suffering that our teachers have been put through by the outgoing incompetent government. Dr Harris was referring to the contamination problem at the Basseterre High School (B.H.S) labs which forced the closure of the B.H.S and the introduction of a shift system at Washington Archibald High School (W.A.H.S). It has been a rough ordeal for the parents and students ofB.H.S and W.A.H.S who had to adjust to the shift system.
When the contamination issue emerged in 2013, the unelected Minister of Education Nigel Carty violently attacked the teachers accusing them of speaking out of their heads and ofimagining things. Like a true ostrich Nigel Carty buried his head in the proverbial sand. Eventually it took the CARIRI and CARPHA to persuade the heartless Douglas regime to close the school (BHS) and not allow more people to suffer. Teachers and students suffered rashes, sore mouths, and respiratory problems among other ailments. The costs to families financially and emotionally have been high.
The national public cringed at the way the outgoing illegitimate Douglas regime was spending like a drunken sailor man, while neglecting one of its primary responsibility to service our educational sector. The dilapidated state of the sector is evidenced everywhere in our primary, secondary and post-secondary institutions of learning.
Meantime, Team Unity’s Leader has called on the government to fix the problems at the B.H.S during the summer break. “We cannot let this highly unsatisfactory situation at the B.H.S and W.A.H.S continue until September, said Dr Harris.”
Team Unity has learnt that the professional report that CARIRI promised since May, is now in the hands of the MinistersNigel Carty and Marcella Liburd. In deed we gather that the Cabinet is aware of the report and has taken the silly decision of refusing to share the report with the Teachers Union whose membership has been at the receiving end of the suffering caused by the incompetent regime.
Team Unity calls on the government to share every report received from CARIRI, CARPHA and ILO with the Teachers Union and the Parents and Teachers Association. This should be an era of transparency, openness and accountability. There needs to be greater respect, cooperation and goodwill between the government and the stakeholders if efficacious solutions are to be generated through collaboration with all the stakeholders.
The situations at Basseterre High School and Washington Archibald High School typify the failure of good governance and the poor prioritization of government expenditure. It reflects the cover-up, lack of transparency and arrogance for which the Douglas illegitimate regime has become known.
We must turn the page on the Douglas regime. Let Team Unity usher in a new day of openness, transparency and accountability.
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