— Bishops’ teacher not paid for months

A BISHOP’S High School physical education teacher plans to take legal action against the school board, as he is yet to receive his salary for this year.
Tyson English, who staged a protest outside the school on Friday, told the Guyana Chronicle on Saturday that he was employed as a part-time physical education (PE) teacher with effect from January 9, 2017.

He said being the only PE teacher at the school, he taught at each class level at the school from Grades 7 to 11 (Forms 1 to 5).
For the entire January term, English said he received no payment from the school, despite him making submissions to the school of all the required documentation.
“When this new term commenced, I approached the principal concerning my payment since it was long overdue,” he said.

The trained teacher noted that he was surprised when the principal of the school informed him that the school had dispatched his documentation to the Education Ministry and this could not be located at the ministry’s Brickdam offices.
Efforts by this publication to contact the school’s principal proved futile; however, a senior education official noted that the ministry is aware of the matter.
English, who marks Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) scripts in Barbados, said during the second week in April, he was provided with a contract which was drafted by the school board and he was assured that he would be paid.
“Since I had no arrangement with the ministry, I could not have approached them,” he noted.

He then approached the school administration once more and on that occasion was informed by the principal that the Education Ministry’s permanent secretary was signing off his documents. He found the new information strange, since he thought the school board was handling the matter.
English said he became agitated since he was using his own equipment and was preparing students for the CSEC examination.
Two weeks ago, English said he was approached by a staff member of the school to sign a document, similar to one which he had signed.

He said he then refused and told the school official that he was frustrated since the year had reached the halfway stage, and in his opinion, the school was not serious about ensuring he is paid.
“I also informed them that I don’t need the stress and I will be going home until I am paid,” he said.
The teacher said he subsequently called the principal and was told he would be paid in July. He said that he reached a breaking point and on Friday he decided to picket the school.
This newspaper understands that a senior education official visited English as he protested outside the school and informed the disgruntled teacher that he will be paid in July.

English said he was asked to meet with the headteacher of the school on Friday but he refused, noting that he was already frustrated by the situation.
He was then informed by the school administration to collect his belongings and that he would not be allowed into the school compound.
English plans to hire a lawyer to look into his concerns since according to him, he has had a difficult time over the past six months in finding money to pay his bills.