TTUTA hits Ministry for exam delay

THE TRINIDAD and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) has condemned the Ministry of Education for its tardiness in releasing results of the Teachers’ Colleges examinations for 2002. In a letter to Education Minister Hazel Manning and other Ministry officials yesterday, TTUTA President Trevor Oliver said, “The delay in releasing these results is having an adverse effect on teacher motivation.” Oliver explained that there were graduates who may have been successful, but cannot be upgraded, which meant that they were “forced to work for salaries that are far below what they should be receiving at this time.”

He added that students who obtained scholarships would be pushed back a year, and students who failed subjects would have to write over their examinations at a later date, which will affect their earnings and seniority. TTUTA is urging that immediate attention be paid to this matter. Attempts yesterday to contact Minister Manning or to obtain an official statement from the Ministry were futile.