COSTAATT’s pay not high like that of UWI, TT

THE EDITOR: In his recent Budget presentation, the Prime Minister promised that tertiary-level education will be free from next year. He mentioned Government-run tertiary institutions like UWI, UTT and COSTAATT in one breath. What the Prime Minister should know is that lectures at COSTAATT are not paid comparative salaries as those at UWI and UTT.

Most full-time lecturers at COSTAATT have MA or MSc degrees and teach longer hours than their counterparts at the other two universities. While lecturers at UWI and UTT earn more than twice than that of their COSTAATT counterparts, they also enjoy perks of book allowance, travel grants and sabbatical leave. To add insult to injury, COSTAATT lecturers earn a little more than high-school teachers who still have the benefit of holidays during the Christmas, Easter and Summer holidays. This unequal and unfair treatment of COSTAATT lecturers is causing much depression among the teaching staff. This feeling of dejection would obviously affect their quality of teaching. COSTAATT’s new city campus is situated next to the ruling party’s headquarters at Baliser House in Port-of-Spain. Whenever the Prime Minister sits at his next party meeting, he should spare a thought for the hard workers and poor children next door.