SATTI Jaiserisingh and Lancelot Baptiste were on Friday sworn in as the two final members of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC).

The duo took the oath of office before President, Dr Irfaan Ali, at his Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown office.

The Head of State in brief remarks congratulated the two commissioners and urged them to work collectively to ensure that educators are safeguarded.

“I want to congratulate and wish you well on this journey as we seek to further strengthen our education system as we build an institutional environment in which our teachers are treated fairly, in which the process governance continues to improve and deliver in a manner which all can find acceptable standards and find good governance,” he said.

In December 2022, five persons were sworn in to sit on the commission which was last constituted in 2018.

At that ceremony, President Ali had stated that teachers are the backbone of the education system, and they play a vital role in fashioning responsible citizens.

With that in mind, he said that great care and attention must be taken when making appointments to the teaching profession.

Equally important, he said, is the disciplinary action against teachers being judicious, fair and in conformity with due process.

He noted further that placing ill-qualified persons to educate children can be disastrous to the children’s future.

“It is equally necessary that within the teaching profession, appointments and promotions are dispensed in a fair and just manner. If our children are to benefit from a high-quality education, then such appointments and promotions must be based on merit, and devoid of favouritism, cronyism or nepotism,” President Ali had emphasised on that occasion.

Additionally, he mentioned that establishment of the Teaching Service Commission was intended to insulate appointments, promotions and the disciplining of teachers from any interference or influence.

President Ali explained that the newly re-constituted TSC will play a pivotal role in enhancing professionalism within the teaching profession.

The five persons who took the oath of office in December were Maydah Persaud, Doodmattie Singh, Joan-Ann Davis-Monkhouse, Shafiran Bhajan, and Mohamed Sadam Hussain.