There are still lingering thoughts in the minds of many persons about the enthusiasm and commitment that marked the observance of World Teachers’ Day in Anguilla on Friday, October 4, 2013.
The sprawling Rodney MacArthur Rey Auditorium was crowded to capacity as teachers from all schools and at all levels of education across the island came together en masse for the occasion. The event commenced with a praise and worship session which was not only enjoyable, but helped to set the tone for the Teachers’ Conference and their commitment to duty.
Addressing the conference, Permanent Secretary, Education, Mrs Chanelle Petty Barrett, said that the call to teachers, issued by the International Organisation for World Teachers’ Day 2013, not only related to numbers, but to quality of service. “There are many teachers in this room who are good teachers,” she stated. “The Ministry is kept abreast about the work you do and I can assure you that your work is truly valued. We are aware that many of you go beyond the call of duty, oftentimes using your own resources so that you can deliver effectively in your classrooms. We are grateful that you have been called to this profession and, on behalf of the Ministry and people of Anguilla, I thank you.”
Mrs Petty Barrett continued: “I dream that one day I will be able to stand here and say, with deep conviction, that every teacher in our education system is a good teacher. Unfortunately, that day is not today. At the Ministry, we are also keenly aware of those teachers who are in need of further support and development. You, too, will receive the necessary support of the Ministry and Department of Education, and your school, provided that you demonstrate the willingness and ability. Where this is not evident, we may have to have a conversation of a different kind. ‘The reality is that learning is not possible without professional, well-trained, well-supported, accountable and valued teachers. Teachers are the central solution to the learning crisis.’ That quote again comes from the joint statement issued by the International Organisation for World Teachers’ Day.”
The Permanent Secretary said it was in recognition of the need for quality service that the Ministry and the Department of Education, along with the Teachers’ Union, had developed the Teacher Quality Policy. She stated that several aspects of that policy had already been implemented with a view to ensuring that all teachers were good quality teachers.
Mrs Petty Barrett was pleased to announce that the Ministry and the Department of Education had scheduled a Teacher of the Year Award Ceremony – next month – designed to address the longstanding cry of teachers that they were not recognised for their work. She noted that while the conditions of work were not ideal, the award should be seen as one step at least in the right direction, and that they should support the effort.
She added that the Ministry, Department of Education, School Management, Teachers’ Union and Boards had a role to play in improving the quality of the teaching profession. “We ought to be able to encourage and support each other in the fulfilment of these roles. We are in this together so let us move forward in a spirit of collaboration,”Mrs Petty Barrett added.
The keynote speaker was MrsVirgina Albert Poyette, General Secretary of the Caribbean Union of Teachers and former Regional Coordinator of Education International for North America and the Caribbean. She said teachers needed continuous training and a lot of support in order to continue to do a good job in the classrooms. She stressed that they had a professional responsibility to encourage students in the pursuit of learning and to teach them diligently and respectfully. She cautioned them that when they deny a child proper education they ruin the future of that child.
Ms Royette advised the teachers that they had a number of professional rights which they should exercise properly as role models in the society. Among those rights were the right to professional training and development; equal opportunity for advancement to be guided by acode of conduct or code of ethics; participation in extra-curricular activities; the right to study leave and the right to influence policy and to advise the Government on what they think would work well in the delivery of education.
She urged all teachers to join the Anguilla Teachers’ Union in order to speak with one voice, to protect their profession and to achieve many of their goals as educators.
Other speakers were Mrs Claire Elliott-Aventurin, President of the Windward Islands Teachers’ Union based in St Maarten; Mrs Vernest Mack, Third Vice President of the Caribbean Union of Teachers and Immediate Past President of the Antigua and Barbuda Teachers’ Union; Mrs Emma Ferguson, President of the Anguilla Teachers’ Union; and Mrs Serene Carter-Davis, Retired Chief Nursing Officer, who delivered a motivational and religious address.
The World Teachers Day programme was chaired by Mrs Celestine John, Principal of the Morris Vanterpool Primary School and a former President of the Anguilla Teachers’ Union.
