Education Minister Octavia Alfred has announced Cabinet’s approval of a new organizational structure for the teaching service within secondary schools.
She made the announcement during a statement on Tuesday.
The proposed organizational structure includes new and upgraded positions for secondary schools in the following categories; principal, deputy principal, assistant principal, heads of department, senior graduate teacher, graduate teacher, senior qualified teacher, qualified teacher and school counselor.
“The 2019-2020 Budget of recovery, modernization and transformation proposed a new structure for the teaching service and mandated the Ministry of Education to come up with more progressive structures that would address the numerous complaints and support the professionalism, output, security, career development and upward mobility of these services,”
In addition to promoting professional growth, Alfred said the structure provides opportunities for teachers to advance in responsibility and compensation, while also allowing them to make significant contributions within the school system without having to give up teaching functions.
“These additional responsibilities include areas of curriculum development, supervision, monitoring, mentoring new teachers within their school and staff training, student discipline or serving as lead teachers in selected subject areas,” she noted.
In keeping with the new structure, Cabinet has approved the following: the upgrade of 7 positions of principals of secondary schools, the creation of the following new positions for government secondary schools – 15 deputy principals, 7 assistant principals, 87 heads of department, 28 senior graduate teachers , 70 senior qualified teachers and 16 school counselors.
Alfred also revealed that as a result of the creation of these new positions, Cabinet has approved an increase in the budgetary allocation for salaries to the Ministry of Education in excess of $1.2 million annually.
The Education Minister said that most of the new positions within the school system at the middle and senior management levels are required to strengthen school leadership and accountability and to foster efficiency within the education system.
She said in keeping with the new collective bargaining agreement between the Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT) and the Government of Dominica, this new structure will be implemented with effect from September 1st, 2021 adding that the new positions will be filled from the existing pool of teachers within the teaching service.
“In addition to providing upward mobility for over 200 teachers, the promotion of teachers, according to Alfred, will create vacancies at the graduate and qualified teachers level to allow for permanent employment of teachers who are currently temporarily employed or on program requirements.
“This decision reflects the government commitment to provide a better deal to our teachers and creates a public service that promotes professional growth and is part of the ongoing comprehensive organizational review and reclassification of the public service,” she stated.
The Minister revealed that in the last few weeks, the Public Service Commission has approved the appointment of 12 principals and within the last year, approved the permanent employment of 60 teachers.
Alfred believes the current school level organization structure lacks a clear career path and provides limited opportunities for middle management.
“It is within this context that the restructuring of school level supervision was proposed,” she said.
Pardon me but is that a wardrobe malfunction or temperament dictating wardrobe so predictably?
So many things need to be fixed in the Education system. When will the new block of DGS be build. The old block was demolished exactly 1 year ago. When will construction of the Goodwill Secondary School start? This construction was supposed to start since before Hurricane Maria. The PM was a teacher and Minister of Education. He should do better. The students who attend Goodwill Secondary come mainly from the low income communities around Roseau. They should spend the most time in school. For over 5 year they are having only half day school 12-4 at DGS. Some leave home without lunch and are hungry at school. Stop this wickedness and victimization and start the construction Skerrit. You would never want that for your child…..And Madame Minister, while you restructuring please change that uneducated principal at North East Comprehensive. How can a principal in this day and age not have a degree????? Utter nonsense and victimization of the people of Marigot and Wesley.
In terms of curriculum, a reassessment of relevant subjects and methods of engaging student’s interest in those subjects urgently is needed. For this a teacher does not necessarily need a degree but rather a passion for the subject.
Seventy years ago none of my teachers had degrees but they all had a passion for music, literature and the arts – subjects that are sadly placed on the back burner here in Dominica.
Sorry Roger, your suggestion would foster entrepreneurship rather than mere workers to be placed in “jobs”. The choice is clear.
My question is that will all individuals be considered for these new positions and elevations, or will they have to be dressed in red from head to toe? Beyond that, I believe that the stated budgeted amount for this great leap forward is nothing but tokenism. The education sector deserves and requires a larger piece of the pie.
No, only those who are in possession of the Red Bible and agree to swearing total allegiance to Skerrit. All you should be clear about that by now.
HALLELUJAH!!! A step in the right direction! The ball is rolling….. today is a brighter day for teachers than yesterday. Thank you Minister Alfred and your team for looking out for our teachers.
Miss Alfred, when do we starting seeing the construction of those schools you mentioned for reconstruction some months ago? The upgrading of teaching positions in secondary schools I do appreciate but, we have to remember that these new elevated positions want to be working in a new and decent environment conducive to both teaching and learning.
Like Rome was built in a day!!!!
so you want to have a deputy principal and an assistant principal? WHY?? all you people does like to complicate simple things with all you supposed intelligence. set of nonsense. Those children not even going and be smarter, just going to be a toxic work environment for teachers. All secondary school have ever needed was a principal and a vice principal. an admin person, and teachers specialized in various areas apart form their general teaching knowledge and skills.
The thing with pampalam is that she too smart. so smart, smartest ever.
Teacher is one of the few professions that touches eternity. Teachers certainly deserve better and should be looked upon as nation builders.
The proposed changes announced by the line minister sound good and progressive. Let’s hope that they are implemented fairly and seamlessly. Let us also hope that much more would be done for not only the benefit of some teachers but the entire teaching fraternity. 1.2 million dollars increase for all teachers is paltry. As I humbly suggested all teachers should benefit.
Thanks Ibo for your comment.
I truly love that trend! Continue to appreciate what is good and I do like your recommendation that the amount is a bit small and all should benefit.
Thumbs up Ibo France!