PHILIPSBURG: --- Teachers at the St. Maarten Academy are being forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement that was given to them on Tuesday. The teachers have until Friday to sign and turn in the non-disclosure agreement.
SMN News understands that the non-disclosure agreement presented to teachers is to avoid the Ministry of Education from interfering with matters that do not concern the government or Ministry.
According to one school board member just recently the Ministry of Education including the Minister of Education barged into a meeting and demanded information on a case of alleged sexual misconduct involving a teacher. The board member said that the Ministry of Education has nothing to do with this kind of information. They said that the parents are responsible for filing a report with the Police Department or Prosecutor’s Office which will be tasked with investigating such cases.
The school board member further explained that if the police or prosecution approached the school's for information they would get it because they are the rightful entity that must investigate.
"Government and parliament need to work on laws that can further protect minors or anyone that are being sexually harassed or abused."
Asked if the school boards that are trying to implement the non-disclosures are trying to silence teachers who took to social media to express their frustration when they were not paid their vacation pay. The board member said that this has to do with vacation pay but the government is busy interfering in matters that do not concern them.
The board members said teachers that do not want to sign the non-disclosures do not have to sign them because they cannot just get fired for not signing the agreement. However, the school boards intend to incorporate the non-disclosures in teachers' contracts for the new school year.
WITU President Stuart Johnson said he received the non-disclosure and communicated it to the FAVE school board, “I am against it and instructed all WITU members and by extension, all staff not to sign it.
