News & Events

 

Caribbean Union of Teachers(CUT) hosts its 34th Biennial Conference

The Caribbean Union of Teachers hosted its 34th Biennial Conference in St. Georges Grenada from 26th July to 02nd August, 2009 at the Grenada Grand Beach Resort.

Delegates attending the 34th Biennial Conference of the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) made a strident call for the positive transformation of the classroom of the regions’ schools to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s world. The Spice Island was the perfect setting for the Conference which attracted approximately 150 delegates, observers and camp followers from Bermuda in the North to Guyana in the South. The Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers was represented by a six-member delegation.

From left to right: 2nd V.P-Paulette Henry, Treasurer-Gwendolyn Willock, General Secretary-Ashworth Azille, Ass. General Secretary-Annetta Alexander,       President- Vernest Mack and 1st V.P- Rolston Nickeo

 

 

abut delegation.jpg

 Under the theme, “Transforming Today’s Classroom for Today’s World,” the delegates from 18 units of the CUT, unanimously agreed that for Quality Education to be effectively delivered, student centered technology-based interactive teaching must play a major role in the delivery of instruction in schools in the Caribbean.

 

The tone of the Conference was set by President Roustan Job when he delivered the keynote address. He emphatically stated, “Survival demands that we decide on educational programmes and techniques that will take us forward.” He further added, “Transforming today’s classroom for tomorrow’s world we need more than anything else, an all embracing ideology

which can ensure love for country and region among our people.”

 

Several recommendations were made concerning issues surrounding Caribbean teachers. There were also discussions on sub themes: Information Communication Technology in the Classroom, Managing Diversity in the Classroom and the Role of the Trade Union in Classroom Transformation.

 

Teachers at the Jennings Secondary School stage Protest

posted by Admin-Tuesday 7th January, 2009-12:30 a.m.
Regular session at the Jennings Secondary School (JSS) was interrupted on Monday 5th January, 2009. This was due to the fact that teachers at that institution refused to return to the northern wing, which they claim is in an unsanitary condition.

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This action comes on the heel of a number of students and teachers becoming ill , many of whom experienced fainting spells after being exposed to the affected area during the last term.

Of particular concern to the staff is the thick mat of dust which seems to be a feature in each classroom. In addition to this, there is a noticeable accumulation of moss on most of the louver glasses, many of which were also seized shut, or in other cases unable to close. Teachers are also complaining of the mouldy scent which greets them upon entrance and potentially dangerous electronic components.

Following a meeting between the staff of JSS and representatives of A&BUT as well as the Senior Education officer in the Ministry of Education, it was agreed that students will be asked to remain at home until the building was cleaned to a satisfactory level.

Efforts to clean the classrooms have since begun and it is hoped that a some normalcy will return to this institution before the end of this week.

 

New Contract for Public School teachers

Posted by Admin 30 December, 2008~5:35 p.m.

  

The President (Mrs. Vernest Mack)  and General Secretary (Mr. Ashworth Azille) of the Antigua & Barbuda Union of Teachers, today, signed the long anticipated collective agreement, covering salaries and working conditions on behalf of all public school teachers. This following a very long and protracted period of negotiations stemming from 2005. The contract is expected to expire in 2009. While obviously elated at the opportunity to sign the much talked about contract, both union officials criticized the length of time it took the Government to reach an agreement with the nation's teachers. 

The executive has admitted that they did not get agreement on all their demands. However, of particular interest to A&BUT was the government agreement to pursue the reclassification of the Teaching Service. It is expected that with the contract being signed, moves will be made immediately to engage the government's team in discussions regarding the intricacies of reclassification process. This process is expected to be rather involved and time-consuming. Never the less is it hoped that all arrangement will be in place for implementation by January 2010.

In addition to the reclassification, other within the contract surrounds the provision of day and night time security, sick bay and trained attendants, suitable drinking water facilities, regular inspection of physical plants in order to mitigate against health and safety threats, as well as adequate furniture and other relevant resources. In addition to this, the Union was also able to secure duty free concessions on home construction, furniture and large appliances.

Perhaps of greatest interest to teachers, is the payment of an additional month's salary which will compensate for the period January 2006-December 2007. This payment is expected to be disbursed at the end of December 2008.    

Other issues that were being pursued by A&BUT, were those relating to the provision of medical insurance and  paternity leave. The issue of providing a contributory medical insurance to teachers is certainly not a new issue, since this benefit is enjoyed by many of our counterparts in the rest of the region and around the world. However, the Government has indicated that they are currently in the process of reviewing the operation of the Medical Benefits Scheme, with the hope of converting it to a National Insurance Scheme (NIS). To this end the union has agreed to allow this issue to be looked at more holistically.

The issue of paternity leave also occupied a prominent place at the negotiating table. The Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers view the family as an integral part of societies continued survival. As such this leave would allow fathers to have some time off in order to support their wife or partner at the time of giving birth. While the government identifies this provision as being very progressive, they have informed the union that it is one of those benefits that they would like to have applied to all working men in Antigua and Barbuda. To this end, the Union has asked to be represented on a committee which will be reviewing this issue.

Teachers to receive retroactive pay

Posted by Admin

 
Public school teachers can expect to receive a double salary in the month of December. No, this is not a Christmas bonus, rather it is part of the financial package negotiated by the executive. This additional month's salary will compensate for the period where teachers were not covered by a contract.

 

4th Education Conference held in Barbados, December 2008                        

 Adapted form CUT's website Submitted by Indra on Sun, 12/14/2008 - 15:23

  
DECEMBER 3-5, 2008
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS

 

The 4th Caribbean Union of Teachers’ Education Conference was held in Bridgetown, Barbados, December 3-5, 2008 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. The Conference was hosted by the Barbados Union of Teachers in association with the UNICEF Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. 

The Opening Ceremony of the Conference was held on Wednesday, December 3 with the Keynote Address delivered by Dr. Cream Wright, Associate Director, Programme and Global Chief of Education, UNICEF, New York Headquarters, U.S.A. The Conference was declared open by Honorable Ronald Jones, Minister of Education and Human Resource Development, Barbados.

Delegates included the Ministers of Education of the Commonwealth of Dominica and the Turks and Caicos Islands, executive members and members of the 21-member units of the Caribbean Union of Teachers, the National Education Association (N.E.A.), the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (C.T.F.) and the American Federation of Teachers (A.F.T.).

Expert presenters were from the University of the West Indies; CARICOM; Ministries of Education of Barbados and Dominica; The Learning Place, Barbados; the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); The International Observatory on School Violence; Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES); Education Development Centre, USA; the National Education Association (NEA); the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF); Trinidad & Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA); and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). 

New Year Message- President of the Caribbean Union of Teachers

posted by Admin on Sun 4th Jan,2009-9:40 a.m.

The President and Executive Officers of the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) extend warm New Year Greetings to you as you return to your schools. We wish you, your families and the members of the Caribbean Community a new year filled with hope for the future. May 2009 and beyond, bring us great rewards and satisfaction.

The Caribbean Union of Teachers, (CUT) continue to work to enhance the professional standards and interests of teachers and education workers in the Caribbean region. It is the regional voice of educators; a voice which uses the collective powers of its members to advance equitable conditions for the profession.

We continue to obtain the collective opinion of teachers and education workers on matters of an educational, professional, trade union and political nature. This aspect of our work has taken on new significance. Why? You may ask. Well the simple answer is that in the Caribbean region as it is in the rest of the world, education continues to rise on the political agenda and it is a topic of intense debate. What this means is that as teachers in the Caribbean we are likely to face the same challenges in one form or the other, and therefore we must be concerned about what seems to be a dangerous trend developing among some governments in the region. There seems to be a tendency to legislate rather than to consult on areas that they perceive to be of national importance. Soon we may hear of salaries being legislated, which cannot be a good development. Acts like these threaten the very core of trade unions and undermine our ability to bargain collectively. If we are not careful, we run the risk of being relegated from a position of “collective bargaining to that of collective begging.”

We must always remind ourselves that what is good for the CUT and its members is good for the Caribbean. So when teachers strive for better terms and conditions, we always have the greater good of this region in mind. The CUT shall always guard against individuals making decisions about education and for educators. Teachers will be at the table at all times to give their ideas on how to improve the cause of teachers and students. They need to be there from the start of the process, because it will be too difficult for them to fight when the signatures are already affixed. Hence let us pledge for 2009 and in years to come that we will motivate each other to seek a higher purpose as we endeavour to establish the crucial matters to be discussed. This ensures that we stay focused on the mission at hand, which is to create policies that will guide our actions.

Colleagues! The voice of the CUT and its teachers must continue to be heard throughout the Caribbean. Our voices must be heard because we are living in a time of “continuing enormous” change. We must be able to influence how this region responds to these changes.

Let us keep the hope alive remembering always that education is a sacred trust. I leave this quote with you.

“The mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates, the great teacher inspires.” William Arthur Ward (1921-1997)

ROUSTAN JOB
PRESIDENT

 

 

 



 

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