Final teachers’ promotion list available

Aug 07, 2009 News

…as TSC prepares to augment education system

TSC Chairman, Leila Ramson

After dealing with more than 60 appeals by teachers, the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) has finally been able to complete the ultimate Teachers’ Promotion List for this year.
And it was no easy task said Mrs Leila Ramson, Chairman of the TSC, during an impromptu interview with this newspaper yesterday.
She disclosed that it was a tedious undertaking and represents one of the many responsibilities of the Commission.
Ramson told this newspaper that often teachers become frustrated when they do not see their names on the preliminary promotion list thus the need for the appeal process.
“Sometimes teachers say that there is favouritism within the TSC but this is not the case. There are times when they get annoyed and quarrel. So it is for this very reason that they are allowed to appeal,” Ramson added.
As part of the process, teachers are able to appeal to the Secretary of the Commission if they do not see their names on the list and are of the belief that they should have more points, thus are more suitable for the position.
In essence, Ramson noted that the appeal is intended to determine, through a review process, whether the TSC made a mistake in the points system.
“Sometimes teachers train together, go to University together and get their degrees but there are times when some teachers lose points based on the grade they are given by their head teacher for their overall performance. And there are times when teachers tie and we have to establish who became senior first in order to decide who gets the promotion.”
The Commission commenced the review of the preliminary list about four weeks ago. It entailed members of the panel responsible for the promotion perusing teachers’ files and application “with a fine teeth comb.”
Ramson had told this newspaper at the commencement of the process that if any discrepancies were detected indicating that another teacher has more points for a particular position, the appointment would be revoked from the initially identified teachers.
She related that of the 801 positions that were applied for, 60 appeals were made which the TSC as part of its duty analysed meticulously.
Detailed among the appeals was the fact that some teachers that were identified for promotion on the preliminary list had not availed certain crucial information to the panel of Commissioners.
She noted that the Commission was informed through the appeal process that some teachers had not disclosed that they had a break in employment but were promoted on the basis that they served for a particular amount of years.
There were also other appeals that indicated teachers’ dissatisfaction with the preliminary list as they were of the view that they were more senior than teachers identified for the post they had applied for.
Mrs Ramson admitted that the Commission is always willing to correct mistakes and found that it had made a mistake in one instance with regards to the promotion of one teacher using the seniority basis. All mistakes that were detected through appeals were duly rectified, according to Ramson.
It was early last month that the TSC had unveiled the preliminary teachers’ promotion list, which was followed by a two-week long influx of appeals at the Commission’s Brickdam head office.
Teachers from schools across the country were able to tender appeals based on their concerns that were aroused from viewing the preliminary list, which was on display at the Commission’s office. Copies of the list were sent to all Departments of Education in all Regions.
The TSC, Ramson disclosed, is also currently preparing letters of introduction for the promoted teachers, which will be sent to the respective schools by next week.
Additionally, Ramson revealed that the Commission is awaiting the list of recently graduated students from the Cyril Potter College of Education so that introduction letters can also be prepared for them.
She disclosed that without the list being made available to the TSC the teachers couldn’t be placed. According to her it is expected that the list will be in the custody of TSC before the end of August so that the school system could be augmented with teachers for the new school year.