{"id":301588,"date":"2023-04-14T18:53:40","date_gmt":"2023-04-14T22:53:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/?p=301588"},"modified":"2023-04-14T19:00:16","modified_gmt":"2023-04-14T23:00:16","slug":"president-of-the-dat-asks-local-teachers-to-take-a-page-out-of-their-jamaican-peers-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/homepage\/president-of-the-dat-asks-local-teachers-to-take-a-page-out-of-their-jamaican-peers-book\/","title":{"rendered":"President of the DAT asks local teachers to take a page out of their Jamaican peers’ book"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Dominican teachers are being encouraged to \u201crepresent themselves well\u201d in the teaching profession.<\/p>\n

This was according to Education Minister Octavia Alfred who was delivering remarks at the 22nd Teachers Annual General Meeting this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cI speak because in this room there is not at least one representative from the quarter of the schools in Dominica,\u201d she remarked. \u201cThere is no school today.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued, \u201cI stayed in the system for 34 years before where I am at, so I am still in the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alfred added, \u201cEven if it was a school day and we had offered that day off for people to be here, some people will still not be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

She called for action research in order to encourage teachers to represent themselves well.<\/p>\n

She went on to state that teachers must be more \u201cbusiness-like\u201d in their approach to their profession.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must show seriousness, and we must be serious to be taken seriously,\u201d Alfred said. \u201cWe must earn our respect as teachers. We cannot only fill a room when we are talking about money.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alfred mentioned, however, during her years as a teacher, \u201cToday was a significant day for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cToday was a day that we marked on our calendar, today was a day that we looked forward to, today was a day that mattered,\u201d Alfred noted.\u00a0 \u201cWe made today count because it was about our business as teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, President of the DAT Mervin Alexander called on Dominican teachers to unite.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it\u2019s not going to be easy because we know our salaries are small, but as I said again we can get what we want only if we unite,\u201d he urged.<\/p>\n

According to him, as long as teachers are divided, \u201cwe will get nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said, for example, that Jamaican teachers are probably the most aggressive teachers in the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever they want they get it, they don\u2019t joke because they recognize the power that they have\u2026they are united,\u201d Alexander stated.<\/p>\n

He continued, \u201cI think about ourselves as teachers and helping each other that is what we have to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alexander stressed that teachers are fighting against each other rather than cooperating with each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose of you who are here today, go back to your schools and speak to your teachers,\u201d he encouraged.<\/p>\n

He pointed out that DAT is the representative of all teachers in Dominica.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of them come to us only when they have problems and even if they are not members of DAT they still come to us,\u201d Alexander revealed. \u201cThat should not be, yes we recognize the problems, yes you can come to us, but other activities get involved as well too.\u201d<\/p>\n

He called on teachers to work as a team.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless that happens we are in for trouble,\u201d Alexander stated.<\/p>\n