The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA), has instructed secondary school teachers not to continue teaching virtually if all forms of secondary school pupils are brought out to face-to-face classes.
The Education Ministry recently advised of its intention to have those vaccinated students in Forms 1 to 3 return to physical classes in a matter of weeks, joining their vaccinated peers in Forms 4 to 6.
However, TTUTA insists that if this does occur, then teachers must revert to operating strictly within their terms and conditions of work and must cease all emergency engagements.
TTUTA president Antonia De Freitas, in an interview with the Newsday, said the association’s flagship position is that teachers do not go out to the physical classroom. “But if the ministry is insisting that they do, it must cease all virtual classes.”
“TTUTA also disagrees with the reopening of schools from forms 1-3 in a manner that will create a higher level of inequity for students. That kind of policy is creating frustration and stress for teachers who have already gone above and beyond.”
De Freitas said TTUTA is calling for the discontinuation of face-to-face classes for all forms 4-6 students for those who are required to attend classes to complete the practical component for high stakes examinations.
COMMENTS