The Dominica government says with the exception of three primary schools, teachers at government-assisted schools are not public servants and that the ‘handling of salary payments is managed by the respective school authorities’.
The Roosevelt Skerrit administration made the statement indicating that it wanted to clarify the situation ‘in the interest of accuracy and public understanding’ following the circulation of a letter by staff of one of the island’s main secondary schools, the St. Mary’s Academy earlier this month.
Teachers had staged a brief industrial action on February 2, after salaries for January failed to be disbursed by the Ministry of Education. They said the protest was intended to highlight what they describe as long-standing inequitable treatment of educators at government-assisted schools.
According to a formal statement issued by the staff, salaries that were once reliably paid on time have faced persistent delays since December 2018.
The teachers said the issue is not unique to St. Mary Academy but affects assisted-school educators island-wide. They warned that late payments create financial hardship, leaving teachers unable to meet obligations such as loan repayments, which often incur penalties and additional interest charges.
‘The payment of salaries at the last hour-or after the end of the month-should not be normalized,’ the statement read, noting that teachers at assisted schools remain excluded from the timely arrangements afforded to other educators.
They said that while some public officers receive salaries in advance of national holidays such as Creole Day and Christmas, assisted-school teachers are consistently disadvantaged.
They said despite the challenges, St. Mary Academy has achieved a strong academic record, with consistent 100 per cent pass rates in several subjects and frequent top rankings both nationally and regionally.
‘Government-assisted schools operate as independent institutions and receive a monthly grant from the Government to assist with the payment of staff salaries,’ the statement said, adding that with the exception of the three primary schools ‘teachers at Government-assisted schools are not Government employees, and the handling of salary payments is managed by the respective school authorities.
‘Notwithstanding, through the Ministry of Finance, Government maintains an established practice of ensuring that grants to government-assisted schools are paid no later than the last business day of each month, once all requirements are met.
‘While staff employed at these schools are not public officers, the Government has consistently supported them through the salary grants and the facilitation of salary increases and back-pay, including the recent three per cent and two per cent adjustments negotiated with the Dominica Association of Teachers.’
The government said that it recognises the ‘important role played by government-assisted and private schools in the national education system’ and that as independent institutions receiving government assistance, ’employers are encouraged to collect grants promptly once they become available to facilitate timely payment to staff.
‘The Government of Dominica remains committed to supporting education across all sectors and encourages continued dialogue and cooperation to ensure that concerns are addressed constructively and in the best interest of students and teachers.’