St Vincent’s Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, on Sunday 5 December, in responding to this weeks strike action by the teachers union, urged educators to go to school and teach the nation’s children.
Gonsalves speaking on WeFM radio said, all schools will be open, and this talk about not sending children to school is a non-starter.
“The country cannot have a set of people who want to act outside the framework, decide they are going to seek to disrupt the education of the children. It will not happen; it is unacceptable for any vaccinated teacher to say they will ‘sit out’ or ‘sit-in”.
On the issue of public morality, such as being paid and not wanting to work, Gonsalves said;
“Where is the public morality in you not doing your job? You will be paid for five days of employment, but have determined in advance, three of those days, you will not be teaching people children? For what? To have the government change its position, you want to use the children as a battering ram against the government?”
On Sunday, Gonsalves said eighty-five per cent of teachers in primary and secondary schools are vaccinated.
Gonsalves said owing to the slow vaccination rate among teachers; an advertisement was posted for persons who wanted to teach, to apply.
“As of Saturday morning, 91 teachers have been hired, largely in the primary and some also in secondary schools. The interview process continues with retired teachers also being contacted”, the Prime Minister said.
SVG Teachers Union has called on educators to stay away from school on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 and to join the picket line on Friday 10, in front of the vegetable market in Kingstown.
