Teachers were returning to their classrooms on Friday following a day of protest action with Education, Science and Culture Minister, Dirk Currie, saying he remains committed to consultation with the unions to deal with their grouses
The Joint Education Unions (GOV) said that while parents adhered to their calls for them to keep their children at home on the first day of the school term on Thursday, schools with reasonable staffing levels can fully resume classes on Friday.
The Joint Education Unions (GOV) serves as an umbrella body for the Federation of Organizations of Teachers in Suriname (Catholic Teachers’ Union, Christian Teachers’ Union, Surinamese Teachers’ Union, Islamic Teachers’ Union, and Union of Teachers in Technical Education), the Syndicate for Educators in Suriname, the Teachers’ Union for Higher Education, and the Trade Union of Scientific Staff at the University.
The GOV said that for schools facing significant shortages, quick solutions are being sought in collaboration with the Ministry.
It said that on Thursday it conducted an assessment and evaluation of the staffing situation in schools and found that teachers, school management, parents and guardians, and other stakeholders actively contributed ideas for workable solutions.
The GOV said that this assessment and various solution models have since been presented to the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.
While the GOV said that members can act at their own discretion in the current situation, at the same time the unions view the current situation as an opportunity to approach the organization of education differently this school year.
According to the GOV coordinator, Bernice Barron, it is necessary to take organizational measures to reduce the pressure on teachers.
‘We are doing this for safety reasons. We have evaluated matters and looked at the number of shortages where positions still need to be filled. And we do not want to bear the responsibility if things go wrong. We must also protect our members. We love the children. We also want them to become something in society, but we must do it safely. It is also for their own safety,’ Barron said.
She said the current industrial action has nothing to do with the wage negotiations with the government.
Currie visited a number of schools on Thursday and said he remains committed to finding a solution to the situation.
He said he was surprised by the call from some union members to allow teachers to go to school even as they asked parents to keep their children at home.
Currie said that the ministry has been in constant contact with the unions, with the most recent consultation taking place last Tuesday and that during the meeting discussions included the implementation of the agreement signed by the parties in June.
‘We made good agreements regarding this and also agreed to hold follow-up meetings next week,’ said Currie, adding also that the unions had proposed allowing students to return to school at a later date.
‘We made it clear at the time that the ministry’s decision is to start the schools on October 1, because we do not want to change the situation just before the start of the school year,’ said Currie.
He said regarding the shortage of teachers, the problem is not with all schools urging parents to send their children to school.