Regular duties

UNLESS THERE IS a major shift in positions at today’s emergency meeting of the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU), industrial action in the island’s schools look inevitable.

That because the Solicitor General of Barbados, who was asked to offer an opinion on the stance of the union, has advised the Ministry of Education that marking of School-Based Assessments (SBAs) amounts to “regular duties” by teachers.

And in a swift directive to principals, Chief Education Officer Karen Best on Monday in a memo stated: “This is to inform you that the Office of the Solicitor General has supported the position of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation that the correcting and marking of the School Based Assessment forms part of the duties of teachers.

“To this end, all teachers involved in the preparation of the School- Based Assessment components of the examinations of the Caribbean Examinations Council are, therefore, expected to grade and submit the said grades as is the custom and practice. (RRM)

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