Principals propose reduced lunch break to reduce indiscipline

At a meeting yesterday with Education Minister Anthony Garcia and officials of his ministry, president of the association Cogland Griffith said the idea was taken from the success of a similar initiative in private schools. The meeting was held at the ministry’s head office in Port-of-Spain.

Griffith argued that the lunch break is “teachers’ time” and it is unfair for one principal to monitor hundreds of children.

The one-hour lunch break, he said, was introduced at a time when teachers and children lived in the community and were able to go home for lunch but times have since changed and schools need to change with the times.

In response Garcia said, “We feel there is merit in it.” He added, however, that it was a policy shift and further discussions will have to be held with the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association, National Parent Teachers Association and other stakeholders.

He said several other concerns were raised and recommendations made. These will be examined by the ministry.

These include adequate training of teachers, the standardisation of school reports across all schools, and concerns about the national tests and the Secondary Entrance Assessment 2018.

Secretary of the association Indira Birju-Daniel said one of the concerns with standardised tests was the inclusion of the new primary curriculum rewrite that is taking place and whether it will be infused in the assessments.

“We have asked for guidelines, the table of specifications that complements the curriculum and assists teachers with preparation,” she said.

The national tests are on hold because it is being rebranded the National Learning Assessment, she said. “There is supposed to be a pilot project with the new form of assessment and the principals have not been consulted to date on that initiative.” Garcia said a meeting has been set with all principals of all primary schools in the new school term, so that many of the concerns raised at the meeting will be addressed.

Among the other issues discussed was the suspension of the principal of Mayaro Government Primary School which, Griffith said, the association believes there was a breach in the process.

Saying that the association was not happy about the suspension, he said: “We are looking forward to a speedy resolution of this matter.

We have the assurance today that the matter will be dealt with expeditiously.” On the ministry’s mandate to reduce the sugar content in drinks with alternatives, Griffith said the association suggested that it should not be reduced all at once but incrementally.

Reiterating that there has been a decrease in the incidence of violence in schools, Garcia and Griffith said that contrary to some people saying that the data was manipulated, the ministry never issued any instruction to any principal not to suspend students or to reduce the suspension of students.

“If data has shown there has been a reduction in the incidence of violence, Griffith said, “We want to take credit for that. It means that we are working. That we are doing our job.” Garcia said the reduction in indiscipline speaks volumes about principals. “We have been able to secure a reduction which we should appreciate instead of having persons pour scorn on it.”