Industrial action by the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) in January prevented an investigation into the conduct of a senior teacher who was alleged to have abandoned her class for an entire term.
This revelation came from Chief Education Officer Laurie King as he spent half of yesterday’s session on the witness stand on the third day of the Commission of Inquiry into the Alexandra School industrial dispute.
Under intense examination by Vernon Smith, QC, King agreed with the attorney that “the result of the actions of the BSTU prevented the investigation of the senior teacher” who was alleged to have committed a serious dereliction of duty.
King also agreed with Smith that it was logical to assume that the union was acting at that time to protect the teacher from disciplinary proceedings.
