By Sue-Ann Wayow
IF service commissions are to be abolished, the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) should be the first to go.
This is according to legal advisor of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS), Dinesh Rambally.
In a media release on Monday, Rambally described the TSC’s operations as “laissez-faire, incompetent and a hindrance” to the functioning of the education system.
He also accused the TSC of radically changing settled practice established in the Concordat for the selection of qualified teachers, the agreement between the Government and denominational schools which he said has worked well for decades.
Rambally said, “The latest crisis in education didn’t happen in a vacuum. It is a direct result of the negligent actions of the Teaching Service Commission as well as the Ministry of Education.”
The new procedure of the TSC ignored the Education School Boards “which are best equipped to advise on these matters, and will result in a lower intake of first-year students across the primary school spectrum when the new term begins in September.”
Two weeks ago, denominational boards of education, backed by the Association of Denominational Boards, announced that there will be a reduction in the intake of first-year pupils for September 2023 so as to balance a shortage of teachers in that department.
Rambally said, “Not all parents can afford to send their children to private schools and with the looming crisis of teacher shortage experienced by more than 70% of schools in the denominational system, they would not be able to take in the children and give places for the upcoming new school year in September.”
Since mid-2022 the SDMS had prequalified 21 teachers to fill slots vacated by teachers who have left the job, got promoted or replaced principals who had retired, Rambally said.
After following the established procedure to the letter, the appointment of the teachers has been unduly stymied by the inefficiency of the TSC which Rambally said had an agenda to destroy the Condordat.
He described the function of the teachers in the denominational schools who were selected not just on academic qualifications but also on moral and ethical standing.
Rambally said, “Their role as a teacher, mentor, and stand-in parent cannot be underestimated. The teachers also provide comfort for anxious parents who have concerns about the safety of their children secure in the knowledge that everything is in place to ensure nothing untoward happens while they are at school.”
Last week, the TSC stated that applications were sent to the Ministry of Education and the respective Denominational Boards and all eligible applicants will be given an opportunity to be interviewed by the Ministry of Education.
“ These interviews are due to commence in June 2023,” it stated.
