National Teaching Council for Dominica

Plans to establish a National Teaching Council for Dominica has moved to another stage.

In April this year, the Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education organized a preliminary meeting to help create some awareness with regards to the establishment of a National Teaching Council on the island.

Dr. Morella Joseph, Programme Manager for Human Resource Development at the CARICOM Secretariat on Monday met with stakeholders at the Public Service Training Centre (PSTC) to continue discussions on the formation of the council.

Dr. Joseph said Monday’s session looked at critical areas which must be considered in establishing such a council.

“We are actually looking at the key functions of the teaching council, the justification for establishing one and the responsibilities of the various entities involved in education that work in tandem with the Public Service Commission with regards to the teaching profession,” she noted.

Dr. Morella is confident that the establishment of a body to serve the teaching profession in Dominica is necessary.

“Here in Dominica the Public Service Commission, I was made to understand, is responsible for teachers. It is responsible for the hiring and firing of teachers and dealing with disciplinary matters, but with regard to the teaching profession as a body, and to place it in line with other established professions, there is no entity primarily responsible for that and that is why we are pushing for the establishment of the Teaching council, to place it in line with other well established professions,” she explained.

Dominica’s Minister for Education, Petter Saint Jean, has given the assurance that his Ministry will take full responsibility in ensuring that the National Teaching Council is established.