TA Thompson teachers sit out over state of school

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

THE majority of teachers at T A Thompson Junior High School staged a sit out at the school yesterday over inadequate working conditions.

As the issues may take some time to address, the school will revert to a fully virtual programme until there is complete resolution, according to assistant shop steward with the Bahamas Union of Teachers Jon Montpetit.

He told The Tribune yesterday there were serious structural issues at the school’s main education block and the alternative was to work from another structure at the school.

However, that building only has one bathroom, which is not suitable for 200 children and teachers to use, he said. Additionally, some of the classrooms do not have proper ventilation and a few teachers have mobility issues that prevent them from walking between the three floors there.

Yesterday, Education, Technical and Vocational Training Minister Glenys Hanna Martin said the situation at T A Thompson was the result of years of neglect and “kicking the bucket down the road”.

“Firstly, the main academic block, it’s not suitable at all,” Mr Montpetit said. “They have to shut that down and they wanted us to work from the next half of the school.

“The main building has some structural issues going on at the moment. The principal made us aware and I am assuming that they just saw how bad it was Monday so to my assumption they are just getting light of this.

“The issue with the second half of the school is proper ventilation in some of the classrooms. That’s one issue. The next issue is bathrooms. There aren’t enough bathrooms for teachers and students for any grade level to come on.

“It’ll be very hard for 200 kids to use one bathroom. So, bathroom was an issue, ventilation was an issue and then we have some teachers who have mobility issues and therefore they can’t walk on the second and third floors.

“So, all of those. They were our three main concerns in terms of trying to work face-to-face.

“Like everyone else it was the intent to do the hybrid system but we didn’t know how bad the school was until we returned.”

Asked how soon the issues will be addressed, Mr Montpetit said while there was an understanding that the problems would be fixed as soon as possible, he was unable to state when this would be.

He said 90 to 95 percent of the more than 50 teachers at the school sat out in protest of the situation.

With news that the school will go back to fully virtual, the teachers will end their action and return to teaching from their computers.

When she was contacted yesterday, Mrs Hanna Martin said: “T A Thompson has serious issues. I went there myself and saw it with my own two eyes and this is the result of, and I have been advised by technical persons in the field, this is the result of prolonged neglect and patching and kicking the can down the road and deferring and procrastination and postponements and we now at the point where that entire block has to be shut down for proper holistic repair work.

“We keep coming up with issues that are not confronted or addressed on a continuous basis and as a result of that you have crisis after crisis after crisis.

“We have to come to a methodology and a cultural practice in the Ministry of Education, in the Ministry of Works, because the Ministry of Works has responsibility for these buildings, where we bite the bullet when the moment comes and just do it.

“Now I suspect that a big part of it might be resources. I don’t know what would have governed past deferments, but we do know however we got here. This is where we are.”

This comes after students returned to classrooms for face-to-face learning under a hybrid instruction model on Monday.

Comments

Sickened says...

So someone in education just realized all of these structural and ventilation issues? What has the maintenance department been doing for the last 2 years? And don't tell me that they've been fixing other problems as the school because certainly you would deal with the structural issues first and worry about the painting and landscaping later?

Posted 27 January 2022, 9:41 a.m. Suggest removal

JokeyJack says...

I recall reading that back in slavery days there were a few "uppity" blacks just like these teachers. Expecting this and wanting that. Why can't they just shut up and take whatever the government gives them and be quiet?

Besides, it's only children's futures we are talking about - and nobody cares about broken condoms.

Posted 27 January 2022, 9:53 a.m. Suggest removal

M0J0 says...

I spoke with a teacher recently and simply told them if you did not get into teaching to help kids then get out. Its time teachers come off the lazy high horse and work. They can find a medium and not just neglect all for their gain. I agree if they are not being heard then they have to do what they must, but at least try half way before just cutting off fully.

Posted 27 January 2022, 11:33 a.m. Suggest removal

JackArawak says...

The neglect began in 1973 with “Bahamianization”. Brainchild of LOP. 50 years of neglect will lead to a D- average

Posted 27 January 2022, 12:10 p.m. Suggest removal

Lavender says...

Hey, student here. Honestly, I'm embarrassed but not surprised. I've gotten used to the chicanery, and I'm currently studying on my own for the BJC's. In defense of the teachers, they've been trying their best, but some of them are barely doing the bare minimum, yet they expect so much. I seriously don't know why my parents sent me to this school, it's awful I kid you not. Genuinely at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to quality. I try not to complain, as some kids don't even get to go to school, but what's the point of going to school if I'm not learning anything? And it's pretty funny how the teachers seemed to deviate from the reason as to why we're not returning. All of this crazy stuff that's been going on not just here, but the world, has demotivated me and I'm pretty sure a lot of my peers feel the same. Online learning hasn't been working for me, I don't like staring at my screen while a teacher goes on and on about something I can learn on my own, and actually make it fun for myself. And I'm already stressed about the fact that I've barely learned anything. I've looked at the syllabus, and I barely know the topics, leaving me with a lot of work that I have to do to ensure my passing of the BJC's. I just feel so hopeless sometimes, about the future of the world, and the state of education at the moment.
Thanks for reading this :)

Posted 28 January 2022, 2:22 p.m. Suggest removal

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