The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) is accusing the Ministry of Educational Transformation of making key school decisions without consulting the teachers’ representative body, despite what it said was prior collaboration in site visits and assessments ahead of the new school term.
In a statement, BUT General Secretary Gilbert Carmichael said the union participated in walkthroughs of school plants across the island before the start of the Michaelmas term, sometimes alongside officials from the ministry.
He said those visits revealed that several schools were not ready to safely welcome staff and students.
“In keeping with our responsibility to advocate for the well-being of our members and the wider school community, the BUT made timely and reasonable requests for short-term delays, some as little as one additional day, to allow for the completion of critical work,” Carmichael said.
“Unfortunately, these appeals were met with firm declarations from ministry officials that all schools would be open and ready for operation on Monday, September 8th. Such inflexible pronouncements disregarded the legitimate concerns raised and ignored the principle of collaborative engagement that should underpin our shared interest in a functioning and safe educational system.”
The union said what followed was even more concerning, noting that teachers were called to meetings about decisions that directly impacted their working conditions, and the BUT was neither invited nor informed.
“The most egregious example of this occurred at the Princess Margaret Secondary School,” Carmichael said.
“The BUT was initially involved in walkthroughs and submitted recommendations regarding the state of readiness of the facility. Yet, as recently as [Tuesday], the Ministry proceeded to conduct a further site assessment, made decisions regarding the closing of school, and did so without any communication to or inclusion of the BUT.”
Carmichael said the ministry cannot treat the BUT as a stakeholder only when convenient, and called its exclusion from the process “unfortunate and frankly unacceptable.”
The union said it remained committed to working with the Ministry but stressed that engagement must be consistent and respectful, not one-sided.
“The establishment of a positive industrial climate hinges on mutual respect, open communication, and genuine collaboration. Schools must be safe, inclusive spaces not only for students, but for teachers and all other staff who support the educational system,” the general secretary added.
The BUT is now calling on the ministry to reaffirm its commitment to partnership and respect the role of the union in the development and execution of education policy.
“We trust that moving forward, the Ministry of Educational Transformation will prioritise respectful engagement over unilateral or exclusionary action and decision-making. The BUT remains ready and willing to work together in the best interests of teachers, students, and the nation’s education system,” he said. (SM)
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