Claire ‘Cutie’ keeps her focus on the students

There are forces in the teaching service that can push one out of this noble profession if one doesn’t, like Noble Laureate Derek Walcott’s Ti Jean in Ti Jean and his brothers, outwit the (devil) system. Such is the plight of Claire “Cutie” Watson.

These forces can range from physical dilapidation of some of our primary institutions to the quality or lack thereof of a national educational policy. There is indeed a continuum of problems and it is perhaps self-preservation that would lead a dynamic woman to say: “I would turn down any administrative post that would take me out of the classroom. The focus is on the students, it’s not on me — my students guide me into what I teach, how I teach, the scope and direction — it is a deliberate choice, one I’m happiest with.” But Claire didn’t make that decision overnight. It came after two decades in the educational system, during which time, she served a three-year term as General Secretary for the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA). “Teachers were going through a real hard time, and as staff representative at Naparima Girls High School I thought that teachers could influence the direction in which education was going...my reason for plunging (as secretary of TTUTA) is because I really thought I could make a difference.”

It was during her term as secretary (1995-1998) that Claire realised that there were several blocks to teachers influencing educational direction — the main stumbling block being, “...politics — lack of the political will to change priorities for spending and budgeting especially in health and education.” This she believed resulted in a situation in which “...what is best for the country and the needs of the teachers of the country” are too expensive to be taken seriously. But this teacher knows well that what is deemed expensive on a monetary level can well become expensive on a social level. “CXC doesn’t cater for the child’s creativity, it doesn’t make a child an independent thinker so that the child has the academic confidence to invent things like the Japanese or the Germans,” notes Claire. She describes the course called Technical Education, currently being offered on the SEMP curriculum, as, “...a lab that would meet any kind of creative impulse a child may have in any field.” Claire expresed some concern about whether the state will be able to maintain the schools built under the Secondary Education Modernisation Programme(SEMP), after the sponsors have left, since these schools are high-maintenance ones. She also believes that the issue of continuity between the SEMP curriculum and the CXC curriculum, needs to be addressed. The traditional schools already have the task of implementing both curricula side by side since SEMP doesn’t cater for French and other such subjects so there is the definite question of overwork on the teachers.

As far as CAPE is concerned Claire says that “It’s quite different from the A’ Levels that we are doing now, less difficult. The first part is meeting the gap between O’ and A’ Level.” But here comes the crunch line “A lot more work for teachers...there is a course component (portfolio assessment) and there is an oral component which could only be effectively workable if you are allowed to have smaller classes or more teachers.” explains Claire. CAPE is so good that the international educators are looking at it to adapt into their curriculum, like our pan is being effectively organised in other parts of the world. Claire likes it because it gives the students more flexibility in that a student can get a certificate and credits at the end of the first year, allowing the student to leave or change careers without losing a year of school. “It is more student-oriented,” she notes — a consideration often preached about but seldom practised.

What is Claire’s view of her role as secretary of TTUTA? “I was operating almost in a schizophrenic way for here I was negotiating in a capitalistic way for salaries, terms and conditions of work, hiring and firing in the union itself; acting as a trade unionist fighting for the teachers; debating with the Ministry and also having discussions with the social and business sectors. I had to wear several caps. It was a challenging experience.” What was even more challenging was becoming a member in a male dominated union. “The union evolved from where it was more male-oriented. It doesn’t really facilitate women joining in unless they can break it, in terms of the late hours and the social activities...women have to develop their own culture in the union.” Claire was present at the peak of the impasse between teachers and government and was instrumental in securing a non-taxable allowance for all teachers in recognition of their efforts. During her time, there was also an increase in salaries. Did she take the kudos for the teachers’ increase in salaries? No. “It was not the political will or the union but the loan from the IDB — SEMP programme where it was a mandatory condition to recognise teachers were professionals and to compensate them adequately. It was a package, and we had to fit certain requirements from the IDB before the loan could be accessed. The requirements included, improvement and upgrading of schools, training for teachers and general upgrading and reclassification of teachers.”

There was a suggestion of her going for the presidency of the union after her term but as the saying goes, it just wasn’t in the cards. Instead Claire is happier being a solid support for her husband, Dr Patrick Watson as he battles with the health situation as chairman of the North West Regional Health Authority. Next to that she is in the classroom at Naparima  Girls High School or busy with Tsian, her granddaughter. But Claire does have one wish and that is to see a national policy for education. “I am not comfortable with the lack of wholeness. We need a national forum where the nation could approve, vote on and become law so that no politics could interfere with it. “We should try and attract a better quality personnel in Education’s Human Resource department. We need young, vibrant people, especially in research, planning and training. We need to modernise the system and lastly, the people with the good ideas, hopefully, they will get the support” were the words of this soft-spoken courageous woman. Like her children whom she taught to “take your punches and roll with it,” she has done the same.