– Advertisement –
By Kisean Joseph
[email protected]
Public school teachers across the country returned to their classrooms yesterday after the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers (ABUT) called off its industrial action. The decision follows the issuance of appointment letters to all the educators who were eligible for upgrades between 2017 and 2022.
The union’s General Secretary Sharon Kelsick confirmed that their demands had been met.
“The final set of letters were completed and sent to the Ministry of Education yesterday [Thursday],” she said. “They were available for pick up as of yesterday afternoon, 4 o’clock.”
The union officially communicated with its membership, advising that their demands had been satisfied, which led to teachers resuming their duties on Friday morning.
Director of Education Clare Browne expressed gratitude to all the principals who maintained normal school hours during the industrial action.
These administrators, supported by prefects, student council members and some teachers who secretly assisted, “kept the mechanism that is the education system running”, according to Browne.
The resolution comes after teachers staged a sit-in that began at 9am on April 1. The industrial action spanning three days was initiated after years of back-and-forth discussions with education authorities regarding delayed appointments.
Before the protest, Kelsick had explained that “teachers from 2017 to 2022 who should have been upgraded by the end of 2024 were still awaiting their instruments of appointment as of last week Thursday.” She noted that while letters had started going out late Thursday and into Friday, the process remained incomplete at that time.
During the sit-in, the union maintained open dialogue with the Ministry of Education. To expedite the process, teachers were called individually to collect their letters, with the union verifying that all qualified educators received their documents.
The successful resolution marks the end of a protracted appointment process that had frustrated educators for several years.
About The Author
– Advertisement –