Teachers were not entitled to tell students to stay home – PM

An investigation is to be launched to see which teachers, if any, told students not to come to school last Tuesday.

Speaking on Star Radio on Tuesday, Prime Minister Dr Ralph called on the St Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Union (SVGTU){{more}} and the Ministry of Education to look into the matter, so that professional standards can be lifted.

“I want the Ministry to look into it, not by way of punishing anybody, but by way of lifting professional standards among teachers, so that there will not be an abuse of the authority of a teacher.

“A teacher is at liberty… to say to the students that he or she going on strike, but he or she … is not entitled to tell the students to stay away, because that is the job of the Ministry and they’ve already issued a statement … that school continues as per usual,” Gonsalves said.

The Prime Minister said such matters have to be sorted out to ensure that higher standards prevail in the future.

On Tuesday, the SVGTU and the Public Service Union (PSU) staged a one-day strike to press for their demand of a one-month tax-free salary, since they have not received salary increases since 2011.

Of the 23,213 students on roll, 62 per cent (14,451) showed up for school.