As we showed you earlier, the Prime Minister appeared at the press
conference flanked by Ministers Faber, Perdomo, Marin and Martinez. The one
managing the crisis of the week is Faber – who went head to head with
the mighty Teachers Union earlier this week. They asked him not take the legislation
for the Teacher Services Commission to Cabinet for approval just yet. But he
did, saying that there’s been enough consultation. It could have resulted
in a showdown – but yesterday both sides met and agreed on a joint position.
But now there’s word that the northern branches of the Teachers
Union in Orange Walk and Corozal don’t agree with the Commission. Faber
re-iterated a strong government position explaining that the decision is not
theirs to make.
Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
“Whether or not we have a Teaching Services Commission is not up to
the union to decide. The people of this country elected a government and if
the Ministry of Education which is the body that is set policy decides that
we are going to have a Teaching Services Commission then that is really what
it is. We are coming out and we are talking to stakeholders because that is
the best way to make decisions but it is not up to the branch of the union to
say no Teaching Services Commission.
But there has to be a point where we say we’ve done enough. I don’t
anybody in this country can accuse us of not having proper consultations on
this issue. It has been going on specifically now for over one year and we can
make the argument back to 2005 when the concept of the commission was first
established. We have gone to everybody, we have deviated from the path several
times and we have tried to make everybody aware of what it is we’re doing.'
Time will be allotted during November for BNTU officials to meet with
branch members to discuss the Education and Training Bill. A Ministry of Education
official will be on-hand to address concerns and make clarifications. There
will be no amendments made as a result of those consultations, amendment will
be considered at the committee level after it is tabled in the House. Making
one concessions, Faber has agreed to put back that tabling of the legislation
until January, 2010.
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