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Contact:
Rose Marie Harris
Tuesday, August 31, 2004 - Minister of Education Human Resource
Development, Youth and Sports Honourable Mario Michel is urging parents to send
their children to school on Wednesday, September 1st, 2004 – commencement of the
new academic year. The Minister has promised that children will be supervised in
the event teachers do not turn up for school.
The Minister is appealing to parents to do the right thing and send their
children to school rather than allow them to be absent for the first day of
school. Speaking in a radio address on Tuesday, September 31, Minister Michel
said, “I have no doubt that there are some teachers who will opt not to come to
school tomorrow and will instead go to a Union meeting called on a school day
with no authorisation sought from or given by the Ministry of Education. But
equally, I have no doubt that there will be many committed and dedicated
teachers at school tomorrow, who would not even contemplate the thought of
leaving their students unattended a union meeting.”
The Ministry of Education and the Saint Lucia Teachers Union are at an impasse
over the reopening of school for this academic year. “This Minister and this
government have never sought to be unfair or unkind to the teaching profession
in Saint Lucia. Yes we have sought and will continue to seek to push as hard as
we can to give the children of this country the best education that our meagre
resources can provide. And yes there are times when this push can appear to put
more pressure on teachers as it does on the students and on parents too. But it
is only by pushing as hard as we have, that we have made the progress that we
have in recent years, which we as policy makers, administrators, principals,
teachers, students and parents are all proud of,” he said.
Minister Michel is again reiterating that as Minister for Education, he has and
will continue to play his role and it is now up to parents to do their part: “In
any event, my mission is not to defend myself. I continue to assert that I
cannot force teachers to attend school on any particular day, nor can I force
parents to send their children to school on any particular day, but I have done
what is my duty and responsibility as Minister of Education. I hope you will do
yours tomorrow.”
Related Links:
Full Statement by Minister Michel
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