Prime Minister Tillman Thomas has assured the Grenada Union of Teachers (GUT) that his government’s “broad goal is to develop Grenada’s human resource as a primary national asset.”
The prime minister made the declaration on Jan. 24 as he welcomed a delegation from the Grenada Union of Teachers (GUT), led by its President General Kenny James and other senior officials of the union to the Cabinet Room. The two hour-long meeting discussed the way forward for the education sector.
Thomas, accompanied by Minister for Education Franka Alexis-Bernardine, outlined his government’s policy for ensuring “our students achieve their full potential and maximize the benefits of economic and technical opportunities in the national, regional and global marketplaces.”
The prime minister committed to constituting a special committee comprised of Ministry of Education, Department of Public Administration and the Ministry of Finance officials, which would operate under strict deadlines to ensure that temporary teachers are regularized in the shortest time possible, based on their status and number of years in the classroom.
Bernadine highlighted some of the accomplishments of the Ministry of Education, and mentioned the goal of the NDC administration with respect to education.
“The issue of temporary teachers in the school system dates back more than 14 years. However, we will move ahead to have these teachers regularized in the interest of their earning and borrowing potential and their upward mobility,” said the minister for education.
She expressed her appreciation to the GUT for its commitment to the strengthening of the education sector including efforts to increase the number of qualified teachers in the nation’s classrooms.
