The contract between an employer and employee makes it clear that the work environment is to be a safe one. The onus is on the employer to ensure that when the employee reports to duty their health and safety are guaranteed.
Our laws are pellucid on this. So much so, that if a worker is hurt or injured on the job, the employer may be found liable.
This week, Barbados TODAY broke the story that one teacher who was being threatened had taken the drastic step of applying for a court order of protection against a parent. Furthermore, the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) had advised another teacher to go that route.
BUT president Rudy Lovell said the serious nature of the threats forced the union to give advice to the two members – one from a primary school, the other from a secondary school – to apply for temporary court orders as a precautionary measure.
Apparently, a parent visited the school where one of the teachers works and threatened to kill that teacher. Lovell went on to lament that security at some schools remained a challenge, with close to 40 per cent of them being without security guards or adequate security.
The following day, we reported that Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw said the ministry had not been made aware of these kinds of threats.
“Usually, the union would raise issues concerning teachers and we have been working to collaboratively problem solve, but this issue with regard to teachers being threatened by parents has never been raised by the union, not at least for the time that I have been here,” she said.
However, Lovell remained adamant that the chief was informed. He said he had shared information about the matter in a telephone call with her.
The Barbados Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools (BAPPSS) has confirmed that many parents have been abusive.
While both BUT and BAPPSS have weighed in on this grave matter and brought to the attention of the public an issue that has the potential to take a more tragic turn, it is ultimately the Ministry of Education that is tasked with providing a safe work environment.
We can ill afford to have teachers feel unsafe and uneasy in the execution of their jobs. Violence in schools among students poses major challenges already, furthermore parents taking violence to teachers at school.
Lovell made it clear that the union he leads will not tolerate the mayhem.
“Let it be clear, the BUT has zero tolerance regarding violence of any kind and will not hesitate to act in the best interest of the teaching and learning process. Our members’ lives matter. Teachers face deviance from students and parents, which is quite worrying,” he said.
We stand with the BUT.
Something has to give. The Ministry of Education must ensure that all schools are adequately staffed with fully functioning and competent security guards. Nothing less should be accepted by the principals, teachers and ancillary staff of the schools.
Violence in schools cannot continually threaten the delivery of top-rate education.
We heard the education chief when she said “it will not be tolerated by the Ministry of Education”. We believe her.
Therefore, we ask her and her team to take decisive action.
Dr Archer-Bradshaw, you said you didn’t know so we will not dispute that. But now that you do, what will the ministry do?
The post #BTEditorial – Now you know, what will the ministry do? appeared first on Barbados Today.