BELVEDERE: --- Teachers of Martin Luther King (MLK) that are currently housed at the Prins Willem Alexander School (PWAS) began protest action on Monday morning demanding that the Department of Public Education (DPE) and the Minister of Education attend the urgent issues that have been plaguing them for years now.
MLK teachers said that they moved to PWAS for repairs to take place in 2020, and since then they have not been updated on the progress of the repairs. They explained that the current location at PWAS has mold which is very much detrimental to their health and that of their students.
The teachers in an interview with SMN News said that the gym at PWAS is not functioning and they urgently need materials for the students at the school. They said the school does not even have a printer or ink for them to print out school assignments for their students.
The PWAS is a school for special needs students and so far, there is no material or Home Economics Teacher to teach the students to work with their hands since they are not fully academic.
Asked if the DPE were informed of the current situation at PWAS, the teachers said this is not the first time they sat out in protest of the condition at PWAS, and despite their actions, nothing was done by the DPE to remedy the situation. They also said they informed the Windward Island Teachers Union (WITU) while Stuart Johnson was the president, and nothing was also done. “The Union simply did not follow up on our plight with DPE.”
However, on Monday morning the new board consisting of its President Roxanna Pantophlet, Vice President Claire Elshot, and Minerva Marlin visited the school and the teachers who were protesting.
Minister of ECYS Rodolphe Samuel said he contacted the school and that there is a printer and ink at the school for teachers to use. The Vice President of WITU said indeed the printer was recently repaired and the teachers were instructed not to use the printer since the school would need it to print out report cards for the students.
Elshot said the WITU executive board was at the location and was informed that DPE decided to allow a music teacher from Oranje School and a Home Economics teacher from the Vocational School will assist PWAS once weekly. The teachers however objected to this saying once weekly is not sufficient for the students. Elshot further explained that the DPE did not address the lack of materials at the school, which she said is one of the biggest concerns of the school and its teachers.
