Dear Editor,
Every year teachers across the country are required to attend one week Continuous Professional Development workshop (CPD). I personally have no problem attending workshop to learn new skills to help me be an effective teacher. I believe that education is an on-going process. We need to be updated. If you do not attend, you’re threatened with a pay cut.
The CPD is coming up and I am seriously contemplating if I should attend this year or take my pay cut. Let me enlighten you a little about what went on at CPD’s I’ve attended:
a) The persons in charge were not prepared
b) Programs were repeated and presenters were monotonous which led to boredom
c) The presenters did not make the environment conducive to learning
d) The food provided on sale became tasteless as you get the same dish for the whole week.
e) The organizers ensured the CPD took place outside of town, so you have no choice but to buy food which they took as an investment opportunity, or you take a taxi to and from downtown ($10.00 to/fro)
To add insult to injury, the rural teachers like me need to get up at least by 5 a.m. to be able to catch a bus to reach Dangriga to be on time, just to find out that we’ll have a late start, as the persons in charge will be late, or we need to wait for the town teachers to reach, as nobody is to be left out. I get back home about 7 p.m., tired and hungry, but must get myself ready for the following day. The town teachers have all the advantages.
As a rural teacher, I personally find it expensive to attend these workshops. I will need to spend the least fifty dollars a day and endure all aforementioned situations.
During the months of July and August, our meager benefits (hardship allowance/ traveling allowance) are also taken away, which further complicate things for us.
On behalf of my fellow rural co-workers, I’m asking the Minister to:
1. Leave in place our benefits for July and August
2. To meet fifty percent of our expense attending the workshop and
3. To ensure we have a meaningful CPD.
Please take note that same has been expressed to our management and District Education Manager who, through our principals, and have both “promised” to look into the matter.