Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly has the full support of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) following her announcement yesterday that pupils who are expelled from secondary schools will be mandated to register for alternative programmes.
Gadsby-Dolly said during a news conference at the ministry’s head office in Port of Spain that expelled pupils under the age of 16 will be registered in the Military-Led Academic Training (MiLAT) and other programmes.
TTUTA first vice-president Adesh Dwarika told the Express by phone yesterday that the association was pleased with the announcement because it believed such pupils should not be left to fend for themselves when they are expelled due to misconduct at school.
“We have always advocated that if a child is expelled for whatever reason that the necessary development and the necessary assistance is afforded to them, because we are educators and we believe in the empowerment of the young people,” he said.
Referring to the girl from Siparia East Secondary who was expelled in October for verbal abuse of her teacher, he said TTUTA was in agreement that action needed to be taken to deal with deviant behaviour, and also to deter other pupils from that type of behaviour.
While he was in support of such action taken by the ministry he advised that more needed to be done to deal with that type of behaviour, as it may be the result of social, psychological or other deep-rooted issues which need be addressed to prepare them to be fully functional member of society.
He reiterated: “Definitely we are in support of measures for indiscipline and measures to assist (pupils) with the problems that they have that have manifested itself in those discipline issues and the relevant remediation for them.”
Tabaquite MP and the Opposition’s shadow education minister Anita Haynes said yesterday the Government needs to start thinking critically rather than always presenting reactionary measures.
Responding to Gadsby-Dolly’s announcement, Haynes said there needs to be an examination of the correlation between declining academic performance, school violence and expulsions.
Haynes said the Education Ministry also needs to “address honestly” the number of pupils who have dropped out of the system or constructively dropped out, meaning low attendance.
“Overall, the Government’s response has been unimpressive and full of rhetoric. They cannot show us how this move will improve student discipline, improve academic performance. They have not shown us how they are preparing MiLAT for persons who are not voluntarily entering the system,” she said.
She said there is no explanation as to how they will treat with parents who refuse to send their children to the MiLAT programme.
Said Haynes: “So these obvious gaps show that the Government has made an announcement rather than a targeted intervention to treat with a serious problem.”
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