Dear Editor,
I am writing to raise concerns regarding a very distasteful situation in the Ministry of Education and the Department of Education, Region 5
Now that senior promotions have been finalised, there is a messy situation involving the Number 8 Secondary School. Number 8 Secondary School (Region 5) has recently been re-graded from Grade C to Grade B. School grades are based on the school’s student population.
Now, vacancies were published and the current head teacher of Novar Secondary (Grade C) was promoted to Number 8 Secondary School (now Grade B)
Once the head teacher of Novar Secondary School assumes duty at Number 8 Secondary, it leaves the head teacher of Number 8 Secondary with no status, as a deputy head teacher was also appointed at the school. Everyone suspects that the Number 8 head teacher will be administratively transferred to Novar Secondary School where a vacancy would have been created. She would therefore be forced to assume duty at Novar Secondary School.
Here is the problem:
All appointment letters state that teachers can be transferred to another school with one month’s notice. The Ministry of Education has not yet given that head teacher her one month’s notice of transfer.
Secondly, if the Department of Education, Region 5, plans to instruct that head teacher to report for duty at Novar with immediate effect, they will be breaching policy again because the Teacher-in Charge at Novar Secondary School cannot accept her without official documentation from the Teaching Service Commission saying that that individual is appointed to the school. Even if the District Education Officer accompanies her – he/she is not an officer of the Teaching Service Commission.
According to the Principal Personnel Officer at the Teaching Service Commission, that move will not be a transfer, it will be an ‘administrative move’. Editor, my understanding is, if something is moved from one place to another, it is being transferred. I don’t understand the point by the Principal Personnel Officer.
The Ministry of Education needs to respect teachers and do the right thing! This head teacher deserves her one month’s notice. Even teachers who are transferred for disciplinary reasons are notified of such. This head teacher should not lessen her value by accepting an immediate transfer.
The Ministry of Education needs to issue that notification and pay her acting allowance for that month.
The appointed head teacher will also have to be paid from October 1st.
There are serious legal implications.
My advice to the current head teacher of Number 8 Secondary School is, if they insist on transferring you with immediate effect, do not sign any document accepting the transfer. They are required to offer you one month’s notice; and, you are also required to show up with a letter of introduction or letter of appointment or letter of transfer.
Yours faithfully,
Kim Lucas
