Teachers, students could get less holiday this Christmas

Skerrit said the government is seeking to make up for lost time. File photo

Teachers and students in Dominica face the possibility of less holiday this Christmas as moves will be made to make up for time lost due to inclement weather systems.

Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, said the government will examine the possibility of extending the school term.

“I have asked the Minister of Education to examine the possibility of extended the school term because of the number of days that students have lost as a result of weather system…,” he stated. “There will be a possibility of having less holiday for Christmas.”

Dominica was affected by a number of weather systems this year and authorities were forced to close schools on many occasions.

On Thursday [September 27] and Friday [September 28] school were closed due to the passage of Tropical Storm Kirk.

The Prime Minister said the Minister of Education has been mandated to examine the possibility of extending the school term.

“One day is too many for our students to miss school,” he stated.

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44 Comments

  1. shay
    October 1, 2018

    I dont knw why so many of you against this. Here in the VI the governor had to make the same move of giving less holidays so the lessons could get caught up. It is for the benefit of your own children. Stop being political and WANT whats best for your children. They should even lengthen the school hours. My school hours were 8:00-3:15…it didnt hurt me.

  2. Sisserou
    September 30, 2018

    Christmas holidays is two weeks plus, two or three days from that would not hurt anybody.

  3. Kirky
    September 30, 2018

    The School year should look like this … start mid september to fridag before christmas. January 2 to wednesday before holy thursday then tuesday after Easter monday to last friday in august with 6 weeks vacation.
    By then those who want to travel Will get a better deal

  4. Sugar
    September 29, 2018

    I was going to write a different comment, then I thought, what’s the use? The government and MOE has never cared one fig about teachers. They’ve always done what they wanted as long as it made them LOOK good! Sure, extend the school term, then return to your drawing board and come up with some other plans to address your overworked, underpaid, no incentive-given, ignored, slowly diminishing pool of teachers!

    • Texas
      September 30, 2018

      Sugar, I agree that teachers are over worked and under paid. However if you continue to show up for work everyday it creates the impression that all is well. What you should do instead (if you haven’t already done so) is try to mobilize other aggrieved teachers to a peaceful protest action, to not only vocalize your aggrievances but to demonstrate it. This is your democratic right and this is done all over the world, including communist countries. For those who will say the country has no money to increase teachers pay, I say, lets begin to source the money by advising the government to dismiss 8 ministers of government. This is an excellent place to start because these ministers are paid salaries, plus telephone,travel and entertaiment allowances every month, yet they produce considerably less than teachers. Dont take my word for it, take a walk to the audit department to find out the salaries of any minister, they too are public servants, so their salaries shouldnt be secret.

  5. Kyla bontiff
    September 29, 2018

    Nonsense you talking

  6. Sout
    September 29, 2018

    I don’t see reducing the holidays making much difference. Those who set their mind to work will still perform despite interruptions. Take for example, the year following Tropical Storm Erica was the best year for PCSS at the CSEC exams, especially students from Petite Savanne. Quite a number of them were among the top performers. Following Hurricane Maria, students performed well at the G6NA. By the way, among the top performers, three were from Grand Bay even if two of them attended schools in town. Grand Bay has good things too. In addition to that, at the CSEC Exams. Dominica’ s performance was above that of the region.

  7. Patience
    September 29, 2018

    By the way, I’m a teacher.

  8. viewsexpressed
    September 29, 2018

    “Teachers, students could get less holiday this Christmas..” I rather this statement, makes more sense under the current cloud of darkness and corruption Domininca now faces.
    Here Goes: This failed Prime Minister, Government failed 18 waste of time ministers, so called diplomats and fake Ambassadors should be less and more less out of Domininca development, because they are too many, inept and a waste of time. they have failed us. That is the focus. Once these clowns have gone, from Craptain to minuscules, must get lost. Go, you all have failed us
    Our schools has no presenting issues that this failed Skerrit is taking about Skerrit has stained himself and Domininca and he is therefore looking our and begging for Solice and popularity, well he ain’t gonna get neither, why..? because he is a failed Prime \\mininstr and has killed our nations progress having been in deep poverty for over 18 years now under his leadership. Skerrit and his bunch of clowns must go.

    • September 29, 2018

      The man is making a sound suggestion about education and all that can come from your brainwashed brain is political garbage. Well then again he is the Prime Minister working to develop the country and you are just a simple political hack spreading hate.

      • viewsexpressed
        September 30, 2018

        Anon……lol…lol…lol…We know what we talking about, you wanna know how? Well, we are in the heat and the middle of it. We live in the Financial Centre environment every day and we see and hear about the deliberate corruption and decisiveness of this failed inept Pm from that PM`s Office and other surrogates linked to this corrupt failed Labour government.

        Anon, smell th coffee, go take a walk in dirty Roseau and weak impoverished villages and come tell us where the Develpoment is taking place. If not, shut your mouth , because you know not what you are talking about. Also, tell us , about how to stop the corruption of your lazy, inept Skerrit and his hopeless corrupt Labour government.

    • October 1, 2018

      @viewsexpressed , when I read the political garbage you write I am forced to believe in mind bending of which you seem to be a victim. Repeating the same old worn out political propaganda with no evidence. If Skeritt is a failed Prime Minister, could you name me a successful Dominican prime Minister and his or her achievements. List the events of corruption with evidence not just generalities.

  9. Ivenia
    September 29, 2018

    What I think the authorities should do is not have schools as hurricane shelters, so that the next day after the storm has passed with little effect, then students could report to school. Because some schools are used as hurricane shelters you have to wait for them to clear out the day after and for the school to be cleaned and ready for children.

  10. Teacher first
    September 29, 2018

    I am a teacher and I fully endorsed that discission. We have a lot of work to do.

  11. Patience
    September 29, 2018

    All do respect to you sir but we have to have time to rest like everyone else who gets his/her vacation leave. Teaching is not an easy job and it is also a thankless job. We spend quite a bit of our own money interest of the children. (and not just teaching materials but feeding them). Do you think when the Christmas season is coming up the children will concentrate more? What about the unit plans we have to present for second term? No time to do that? Smh. No wonder so many of us have high blood pressure, diabetes and even dying of cancer. Smh.

  12. Me
    September 29, 2018

    He really believes he is our pater familias of the old school, doesn’t he?

  13. Another teacher
    September 29, 2018

    Adding extra hours would only apply to school which end at 1 or 1:30. My school ends at 3:30 for the students. We already maximize the time for the day. MoE ( Ministry of Education) needs to look at their calendar of activities and cut down on the unnecessary events. Every business wants to have activity and programs at our students expense. Stop sending so many circulars for school to make all you programs work.
    # Give the students their holiday. #MoE just backward. #Give the teachers their appointment and stop putting it off. #appointments they need to look at not children holiday. # cut down on all the activities at school. #We want our Xmas break

  14. teacher.
    September 28, 2018

    What i hearing there nuh? i falling out with you straight. You are the one who whenever there’s a normal rainy day ask us to stay home. You need to make better and more informed decisions.

    • Loulou
      September 29, 2018

      :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: According to some of the posts from ‘TEACHER/S’, some of you really need that extended time at school, not teaching but learning simple ENGLISH

  15. It's my damn business
    September 28, 2018

    I like the way they do it in the US where most Schools are from 7:30 to 2:40. Not only do they have extended hours but they train their children to get up early for school which will help them to do the same for work. So maybe that’s something they might want to take a look at. But then again long hours with no AC is not easy. But before Skerrit thinks of cutting on teachers Christmas holiday, he would be better advised to cut down on the amount of Ministers he has first

  16. Let's talk
    September 28, 2018

    Mr Skerrit, did you hire Trump’s personal lawyer, Mr. Rudolph Giuliani, to do anything for you or your government in the oil for gold ongoing investigation? Sir, can you please tell the people of Dominica why our small island like Dominica, with less than 70,000 people, found itself in a position where the United States Senate had to write a letter to the deputy attorney general, on September 5 2018, to ayestion why Mr. Giuliani worked allegedly for foreign governments and Private persons, against the US interests, and Dominica was mentioned as one of the countries Mr. Giuliani worked for. Did you or Anthony Astaphan hire Mr Giuliani to do anything for you or on behalf of Dominica? That’s what we need you to address and not your foolishness about teachers and Christmas.

    • %
      September 29, 2018

      Interesting!!!!

  17. Wrong is wrong
    September 28, 2018

    But Skerrit joking man. Is behind holidays that have holidays because he has not seen half the amount of missiles yet. You will have many more reasons to cancel school and work because you are an evil pm. Even in December when the hurricane season will be over you will still be pounded with off season storms and now earthquake. I am not a UWP but just a true labourite that’s opposed to the nonesense taking place in Dominica by Skerrit and the biggest enemy of the DLP, Charles Savarin.

    • Me
      September 29, 2018

      Wish what you want on the evil pm but please leave the rest of us out of it. You think the off season storms will only affect one man? Careful what you wish for.

    • September 29, 2018

      Are you out of your blasted mind,wishing these things on a country you claim to love,just because of your hatred for one man? What have the rest of the country done to you? Fool.

  18. Aliquis
    September 28, 2018

    Extending the school year will not make a difference but changing the months when School opens and closes may make a difference. For instance, yearly the peak of the hurricane season has been late August into September; if we changed the School year from September to (early) July to October to (mid) August then the academic School year would not be affected as much.

  19. Texas
    September 28, 2018

    That’s a great idea, and it’s done all over the world. I don’t think extending the school day by 1 hr or more is a good idea, since the brain becomes less active after lunch. I think a Christmas holiday less 3 days would suffice. It’s up to the Ministry of Education though.

  20. Jg
    September 28, 2018

    This can only apply to schools that end at 1 o’clock. Remember that there are many schools out of the Roseau district that ends at 3:30.

  21. Agirl
    September 28, 2018

    That makes good sense Mr. PM but shouldn’t this announcement be from Minister of Education? Why do we have all these ministers in DA and you hardly use them?

  22. Maria
    September 28, 2018

    If School close december 21 and reopen january 2 that is quite sufficient

  23. LifeandDeath
    September 28, 2018

    Call election one Time in December too..Let’s just use December to make all adjustments and enter the New Year fresh with a new Plan..

    • viewsexpressed
      September 29, 2018

      “…..the New Year fresh with a new Plan..” Yes, in the old year people through away old garbage and useless things.
      Let us have election in the new year to clean up Domininca with fresh decent government in power to govern us. The decent professional UWP team have proven themselves and we need to wake up as Dominicans to begin to rebuild our ailing island and get rid those who has political prostituted our island with thievery, the Bin Bobol and the Fertilizer Bobol, and all the other fraudulent activities that has to be investigated and audited. We are way behind in our governance and our civil service i under utilised and by pass with endless boom boom flies circling this inept childish PM, killing our nature island.
      Skerrit ust Go…..Failed Labour government must Go.

  24. Silent Observer
    September 28, 2018

    It would be great if that is done because last year the students lost sooooo many days and yet still they were given the normal Christmas holidays. They did well in their exams last year so imagine if they had the full academic year. That is a very good move if that comes through.

    • Patience
      September 29, 2018

      No. Thats not correct. We got one wedk less.

  25. jojo
    September 28, 2018

    no need for that mr skerrit….look after maria our kids had months away from school and they did so well so a couple of days from school wont affect our children…..we have resilient children…..dont take away from their holiday….especially their xmas holidays

  26. Wibd
    September 28, 2018

    Them school children would vote you out if they could.. messing with their Christmas :lol: ?
    Stop making rash decisions…I understand being proactive but analyze the situation better maybe that means better advisors…and while you at it give mr. Valentine some additional training in public relations and communication..#issajokenow

  27. %
    September 28, 2018

    Good!!! But is Petter St Jean moo moo ..? Why is it that you are so lazy,and cannot settle down to do your work?? ..Your showmanship is sickening.Give the other MISLEADERS posing as ministers a chance to say something, and to shine too.
    If you are so interested in the students,create the avenue for their parents to be gainfully employed,so they will not come to you for a pencil,a book,an eraser for their children.Then equip the schools with the resources needed by our hard working teachers, and pay the teachers properly. They deserve more money than you since you are such a terrible leader/MISLEADER.
    Skerrit Must Go
    Skerrit Must Go
    Lazy Skerrit Must Go Now

    • Ou fou compere
      September 28, 2018

      % then the rest will be complaining teachers making too much much too much Bc Skerrit make a Killing hahahahahahah then he will have to give teaches a few passport as bonas so they can become passport pushers like Nkomo ,Stowe et al

  28. Tom
    September 28, 2018

    As a teacher, I agree for making up for lost time but I would suggest extending the school day by one hour and that will cover for the lost time. The school term was extended after Hurricane Maria and calendar of events were manipulated by school administrators. Extending the school day would ensure that students receive the days lost due to inclement weather.

  29. Teacher
    September 28, 2018

    As a teacher, I agree for making up for lost time but I would suggest extending the school day by one hour and that will cover for the lost time. The school term was extended after Hurricane Maria and it was manipulated by school administrators. Extending the school day would ensure that students receive the days lost due to inclement weather.

    • J
      September 28, 2018

      This can only apply to schools that end at 1 o’clock. Remember that there are many schools out of the Roseau district that ends at 3:30.

    • Ou fou compere
      September 28, 2018

      We agree with you Teacher Mildred also with Medard.
      Medard, I have a question about you for the public. In a normal situation in DA anyone thinks Medard could be a teacher let alone P.M?

      • Ou fou compere
        September 28, 2018

        DNO I did not as U guys to be my proof reader so why you left out Dog catcher???

        ADMIN: ???

    • Badbaje
      September 28, 2018

      This is an excellent idea. In some other countries the days of instruction are increased when schools are closed for emergencies such as bad weather. However, increasing the hours is a much better idea than increasing the day, in my opinion at least. I agree with you all the way on this one.

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