Dismissal of Mahdia Primary School’s HM sees protest

Sep 27, 2013 News

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A section of the education system in Mahdia is seemingly in trouble, with parents and children demanding the reversal of the Primary School head teacher’s termination of service, which is effective October 1. The head teacher, Wayne Robinson, has been sent on administrative leave and in fact has to vacate his living accommodation today.
Protest actions began earlier in the week with parents determined to continue until Robinson is reinstated. Students’ attendance at the nursery, primary and secondary levels have been poor owing to the protest.
The protestors are also requesting that the Education Minister visit Mahdia to see the poor conditions under which the students and teachers have to operate.

After serving in the capacity for about a year, Robinson was dismissed for not following certain required procedures.
Kaieteur News understands that the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) held an emergency meeting last Monday, to express concerns over Robinson’s dismissal, stating that they will remain firm of his innocence.
The parents believe that Robinson was wrongfully dismissed, and that he was framed with the charges brought against him. They even went as far as to take a decision to keep their children away from school until the headmaster is reinstated. They have vowed to remain resolute until their demands are met.
The parents also claimed that ever since Robinson started operating in the region, the education standards have raised.
They expressed that every time an individual comes around with the intention to improve the region’s education, he or she is removed.
In addition, the parents are calling for the immediate removal of the District Education Officer. They claim that it is that official who has been stifling the development of the region’s education by somewhat “targeting all of the teachers who are trying to improve the education standard in the region.”
The parents are contending that although many of them do not have the required finances to send their children to schools in Georgetown, they are not prepared to let the region’s education standards drop any lower.
Earlier this year, Headmaster Robinson went against Ministry of Education protocol, and informed the media of some of the hardships that he was faced with.
According to Robinson, subsequent to him voicing his concerns over non-payments and poor conditions at the primary school he received a termination letter from the Teaching Service Commission. And he was served another letter from the Regional Education Officer sending him on administrative leave.
To make matters worse, Robinson claims that outstanding payments would not be issued to him.
Robinson, who has been in the education system for 16 years, one of which he served at Mahdia Primary School, said last February he was brought before the Teaching Service Commission for being absent from the job without an excuse. However, that issue was resolved with him being in the right.
Robinson believes that in addition to him speaking out, another contribution for his troubles was his refusal to disrespect the Regional Chairman. He said the former Regional Education Officer was upset because he allowed the Regional Chairman to enter the school’s compound even though he was told not to.
He said though it is not his desire for students to stay away from school, attendance for the past few days has been extremely poor. Of the 280 students, only 13 were present on Wednesday and seven on Thursday.
Perhaps in solidarity with the situation, of the over 120 students who attend the nursery school only 54 went to school yesterday whilst about 55 percent of the secondary school student population turned out.
Prior to serving as a headmaster in the hinterland region, Robinson explained that he had served in a similar capacity for the past seven years, and that he is well informed of the Ministry’s obligations towards transferred teachers.
Robinson said that in addition to covering his travel expenses into and out of the region, the Ministry is also expected to provide for his spouse and two children below the age of 18.
The former Headmaster said that since the commencement of his tenure, he has been covering all such expenses on his own. He explained that at the end of every school term, his family would travel out of Mahdia to their East Coast Demerara home at an average cost of $75,000.
Robinson had made clear that upon returning to the region, he would usually fill out the relevant claim forms and submit them to the Regional Education Office, but has not received compensation.
The man complained of feeling as though he was being victimized, noting that despite teachers being his “juniors”, their travel expenses are catered for.
The Regional Education Office had defended its position by saying that the situation was due to “a problem” that surfaced with regards to some of the claims made by Robinson.
Kaieteur News understands that Robinson’s claims were subjected to querying, in order to ensure that he had indeed spent money to travel out of the region before claiming for reimbursement.

 

 

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