President of the Barbados Union of Teachers, Pedro Shepherd.
BUT president: Stop the blame game
Sun, 04/24/2016 - 12:00am
President of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT), Pedro Shepherd, believes that it is time to stop blaming teachers.
“Give teachers a break, allow teachers to teach,” he stressed after the special meeting called for all BUT members at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex on Friday to address violence in schools, appointments, leave and other pressing matters within the profession.
However, he also made it clear that the Barbados Union of Teachers will not stand by and allow teachers or anyone else to mistreat children.
“We hear of violence in schools, we hear of teachers mistreating children, but if there are instances of teachers mistreating children then those
persons who accuse teachers of mistreating children, need to bring teachers to justice.
“Our position is that teachers are paid to teach to the nation’s children – to give instruction, to supervise, to provide the necessary pastoral care and teachers go beyond the call of duty to do that. Teachers do not go to school to administer corporal punishment, teachers do not go to school to abuse anybody’s child; teachers go to school to do the job that they are paid for.”
Shepherd went on to point out that there is a situation in Barbados where children and sadly some adults are breaking every rule – not prepared to follow instruction and are flaunting authority. He said that something has to be done.
“Teachers would tell you that they enjoy teaching because they have lovely children before them. But, there are one or two children whose behaviour is being influenced by their parents; by adults in society.
Last Thursday I saw on television around 9 p.m. young children probably 6, 7 years old at Q in the Community. Those children should have been home doing homework… Society has to answer for the deviant behaviour and stop blaming teachers for everything that goes wrong in our system,” he stressed.
“...Those who have responsibility for children and to provide care and so on for children do that, and it would make our life a lot easier,” he added. (TL)