By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Union of Teachers president Belinda Wilson says parents should pay for English lessons for children who cannot speak the language before enrolling them in public schools.

Her comments come amid renewed complaints from teachers about the challenges of teaching students who cannot communicate in English, with some claiming significant numbers of Creole-speaking students in their classrooms.

Speaking to reporters yesterday outside the Office of the Prime Minister, Mrs Wilson said the issue had previously been raised with the Ministry of Education. Last year, the union also reached out to then-Education Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin about the issue.

Mrs Wilson urged the ministry to ensure that students entering the public school system can speak English proficiently.

“You would have the United Nations the rights of the child, so they cannot deny them access to education,” Mrs Wilson said.

“However, I think we need to stick with our policy, where English is our first language, and they should be able to speak English to a standard where the teacher can communicate with them.”

Over the years, the Haitian community has grown significantly throughout the country, resulting in more students of Haitian descent entering the public school system.

Some have suggested that an English Language Services programme could be implemented in the education sector.

However, Mrs Wilson said such a programme could be used, but it should not place another strain on public school teachers.

She suggested that students take English classes before entering the public school system. She cited a Creole school run by a Haitian national, which she said teaches children English before they enter the public school system.

Asked whether the government should fund children attending the Creole school, Mrs Wilson said no.

“I think their parents should fund it because you're getting education free of charge. So, I think their parents should fund them learning English and ensure that thereafter they enrolled into our public schools.”

Meanwhile, Education Minister Chester Cooper said he was not aware of the issue. However, he stressed that where students are struggling with English or reading, officials must provide proper intervention.

“We believe that these problems don't just go away, and the longer we allow them to fester, the worse off that child is,” he said.

“If a child cannot read and comprehend, they don't do well in mathematics or science or any other subject. So the reality is, this intervention is always critical.”

Last year, Mrs Wilson said public school teachers were reporting an uptick in students who did not understand English. The BUT president claimed schools were enrolling a large number of non-English-speaking newcomers, mostly Creole speakers. She said limited English proficiency was contributing to low reading, writing and comprehension scores and fuelling classroom disruptions linked to students' frustration.

However, Director of Education Dominique McCartney-Russell refuted those claims, arguing there was “no widespread evidence” that large numbers of students in public schools could not speak English.