By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

A teacher has questioned how long until she and others receive their geographical allowances after obtaining her posting letter later than usual.

Noting many teachers received their posting letters late, Keyshna Kemp, who is returning to the school system, told Tribune Business she obtained hers on Saturday. She said she had gotten by word of mouth which island she would be sent to but without her letter she could not prepare in time for the first day of school.

“I received the original letter that says I was successful in my interview... and that’s been it,” Ms Kemp said. “The posting letter is the one that’s official. I mean official, official. Once you’ve not received that, you don’t have a leg to stand on.

“School would have been open a week already for teachers. Some of them will be sent to Freeport, Nassau, where they already live. But what do you do about teachers that have to go to different islands? I mean, we’re allowed a week to get there. So if you get your letter Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, you’re allowed a week. But you’re arriving when school has already started. You have to get your accommodations, get internet on, get your light on. If you’re showing up in the middle of the week, you now show up to school with what? To teach how? You’ve not had any time to prepare for your classroom.”

Before she received her letter, Ms Kemp expressed her fear many classrooms would not have teachers, because they had not yet been assigned to a particular island. She also noted that without posting letters, they could not begin working.

“When we touch down with our letter, and the principal signs that letter, that is sent back to the ministry,” she said. “That is when officially they say, we’ve started working. So all of that you’re losing money.”

She added: “With the posting letter I can then reach out to the district superintendent or the DEO and say, ‘Okay, yes, that apartment, or the landlord, start working on that for me, please.’ I can now send money to secure this apartment. That’s the first thing to secure the apartment, and then you wait on the money for the mobilisation to go and get your vehicle, take it off that island, send it to Nassau, from Nassau into the next island.

“When I first started in 2003, I actually had paid my way into Eleuthera, my first pay cheque that came on, it came there,” said before receiving her posting letter. “But I had my posting letter that said Spanish Wells, well in advance. Even though the money didn’t show up, which, of course, that’s the part you need. I at least know which island I was going to in writing. And that’s the thing. We have no idea. Ms [Belinda] Wilson (president of the Bahamas Union of Teachers) has been working and making contact with the powers that be, permanent secretary, the director of education, the Minister of Education, and asking them, are we employed by them, and if so, how much longer for our posting letters and geographical? The letters are just the first thing. I mean, it’ll be wonderful if you go to your bank account and you see the money there first and then the letter comes. That’d be great. But we know that it’s not going to work like that. The letter will come, but I doubt it’s going to be within the same day or couple days that the funds will show up on our bank account.

“Then I got to find a way to find my first, last and security. They’re saying that, I guess it’ll be reimbursed on your first salary. But then the island, they’re sending me to the rent there is very expensive... But come on.”