Despite drawing down from Govt: Good Hope Secondary still asking students for donations to fix classrooms

Oct 31, 2023 Letters

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Dear Editor,

The newly established Good Hope Secondary School is the embodiment of corruption and pandemonium. Instead of acting as a beacon of hope and goodwill, this institution, runs under a strict dictatorship and drains all hope, optimism, and care from its teachers.

This is due to the school’s administrative staff’s poor management of the school. The school’s administration has continuously placed immense strain on the junior staff members in a number of ways, some of which, this letter seeks to outline and inform the public about.

This establishment strives to stand out even if their attempts to do so are nonsensical and without basis. For example: The timetable that is actively used does not allocate time for the general assembly sessions, which last for about 20-30 minutes on some days and takes time away from the student’s first and second period’s time. Accounting for this will clear up misconceptions and false reports of non-attendance for teachers for tending to their duties such as marking registers, interacting with their base classes and the time taken to deliver the register to the office and return to teach the class to which they are assigned for said period.

These reports frequently result in teachers being verbally bombarded and belittled by the school’s heads; for circumstances, which are out of their control. It contributes significantly to the feeling of inferiority and inadequateness that comes from being a teacher at the above-mentioned school. It should also be noted that the majority of the records are either temporary or incomplete which poses great difficulty for the teachers to navigate and utilize effectively.

By the ministry instructions, the school was allocated four thousand dollars ($4000) per child to assist class teachers with whatever is needed in the classroom. However, the school is still asking students for donations to fix said classrooms. This is because the teachers were not given the monies to purchase things in order to create a wholesome learning environment; the administrative staff withheld the monies.

They selected persons of their liking to purchase cheap materials, which were then distributed to the staff members in place of the monies. Each class was given about 10 sheets of cardboards, a few pens, a few sharpeners, two singular tapes, a singular meter ruler, a small bin, three premade aids, a white out pen, a mat, a clock, some wooden markers, highlighters, three single rolls of toilet papers and two bottles of glue. To put into perspective, each class has about thirty students and if we multiply GYD$4000  by 30 students then the monies for each class would amount to $120,000. It would not take $120,000 to provide such little resources for each class, so where did the rest of the money go? The administrative staff pressured teachers to sign a document, which claims that they are aware of what the monies were spent on but this is a blatant lie. The seniors accused teachers of insubordination if they did not sign the document and threatened that consequences will follow. An investigation into what the funds were utilized for, should be launched. The teachers ask for donations from students, as they are to follow instructions that are sent by the persons in charge, this is unfair to the students as well as the parents and teachers who are aware of the grants given by the Ministry. The process as well as the funds were largely mishandled and they are now scrambling to cover up the issue.

Another point to note is the unprofessional behavior of senior staff members towards the junior staff members. Majority of the junior staff members are treated with little to no respect and care, as they are spoken to crudely and treated, as though they are insignificant by persons in authority and/or persons who the administration favors. These teachers are continuously ridiculed, yelled at, and subjected to humiliation for numerous baseless reasons, on a day to day basis. No respect, regard or professionalism is shown to any degree as the school is often referred to as a “plantation” and the teachers as “the slaves” by the very individual placed to lead the learning institution.

Teachers are often accused of colluding, plotting or talking against persons in charge whenever they collaborate or even communicate in a friendly manner. This places strain on healthy working relationships amongst the staff members, if any remains in existence at this point. Officers of the Ministry and visitors who are deemed worthy, are shown a level of fake warmth, accommodation and welcome that cannot be expected by teachers of the very same institution. Persons are only seen for how useful they are to the administration, if they are seen as being independent with opinions of their own, strong personalities and deemed a threat to the dictatorship that runs the school; they are made targets and are placed under intense pressure and scrutiny.

Racism among teachers is another grave issue to be addressed.  The administration discriminates against their teachers based on their race or ethnicity in favor of selected persons. Members of staff, if addressed in confidence, express subtle biases, micro-aggression, and overt acts of discrimination they have either experienced or witnessed. However, they choose to remain quiet to avoid being made targets of the “people with plenty of links” on the administrative staff. Teachers are not allowed to be expressive as it relates to issues as every action is met with resistance, ill-will and threats of being issued letters. Some teachers are also dress-coded according to their race and where they fall on the favoritism spectrum. Some teachers, including heads of the school, wear skin-tight, short skirts and dresses but it becomes outlawed to wear certain outfits if you are not in their “preferred group” of teachers or you are simply of a certain ethnic descent.

The administrative actions described are appalling. Effective communication, transparent workspace policies, and a fair allocation of resources are essential to maintaining a harmonious and productive work environment. This is something that is conveniently forgotten by the leaders of Good Hope Secondary School. Another instance of favoritism to be seen is the appointment of a teacher to “run ward” on every smart room in the school. This particular teacher blatantly discriminates against others, is rude, dismissive and continuously lies about events and actions in relation to other teachers. A teacher who is self-indulged, who cannot communicate effectively, and who chooses to be difficult, should not be placed in such a position.

In conclusion, Good Hope Secondary School fosters a toxic working environment. It suffocates its teachers and everyone who comes into contact with it. The image presented to the general public hides the true monsters which hide in its shadow. The administration is misplaced and misguided; this will result in many issues for the teachers of the school and will ensure that betterment never comes as long as changes are not made.

Yours Sincerely,

Alison Ward

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• administration, Alison Ward, Good Hope Secondary School, institution, Pandemonium

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