In a shocking revelation to Parliament, Minister of Education Kay McConney said several teachers are under lengthy suspension on allegations of making sexual advances to students.
It was not immediately clear if any teachers were under criminal investigation for sexual offence charges or would likely face any prosecution. The minister said the issue remained a protracted disciplinary matter within the Ministry of the Public Service and that the remedy ought to be the offending teachers’ removal from the service. The number of suspended teachers was also not disclosed.
“Far too many have been on suspension for too long who need to be out of the way from our children,” McConney declared during a speech as legislators debated a parliamentary committee report on draft child protection laws.
“Whenever there has been a report of misconduct by adults within the school environment as it relates to teachers, particularly when it has to do with sexual advances towards children . . . I do not know why people still think that they need to go and interfere with the people’s girl children and boy children. It is wrong. It is wrong on every different level.
“And we have taken the action that is within the law for us as a Ministry of Education in terms of investigating the situation and suspending the offending parties until such time the investigations are completed.
“But it still remains in the hands of the Ministry of the Public Service to carry it one step further, once they have received the reports, and determine what will happen with these individuals.”
Her announcement emerged from her reflections on teachers’ conduct and their duty of care to their charges within schools.
In her lead-up to the revelation of alleged sexual misconduct, the education minister recommended a return to compliance with the provisions of the code of ethics for teachers which she said was drafted in 1985 by the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) and others, and adopted by the ministry.
“In so many ways, that code of ethics continues to be valid,” she said. “It says that the prime consideration and interest shall be the welfare of students. It speaks that teachers should act with humanity and dignity and discretion at all times in relation to students. It speaks about not discriminating against students. It talks about not using professional relationships for exploitative or immoral pursuits.”
McConney declared to lawmakers that since becoming education minister, she never turned a blind eye to reports of teacher misconduct.
She said as a ministry with responsibility for protecting children, it has to do better at training teachers and school leaders.
The House was considering a resolution on the report of the Joint Select Committee for Social Sector and Environment on the Child Protection Bill. The Lower Chamber passed the Bill in 2023 but the Senate referred it to the standing committee for further changes.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
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