The Ministry of Education has defended its recruitment practices for master teachers and education officers following criticism.
General Secretary of the Barbados Union of Teachers, Gilbert Carmichael, had raised concerns with the rigorous screening process and secrecy involved, which he said put individuals at a disadvantage.
He juxtaposed ‘this examination culture’ against statements made by some ministry officials. Carmichael said a meeting would be sought with ministry representatives.
In response, the ministry issued the following statement:
… Recruitment best practices dictate that in order to ensure that the most competent persons are selected, a robust process must be instituted. If we are moving in the direction of recruiting and selecting quality educators within our system, then we cannot afford to continue our reliance on the outcome of a single interview.
It is against this backdrop that the critical post of master teacher, which is new to the teaching service and which will play a key role in the enhancement of literacy and numeracy within our schools, must utilise a selection process that assures us that the most competent persons are selected to aid in the professional development of other teachers. We must also have the assurance that all master teachers have the ability to demonstrate teaching excellence in our classrooms. These competencies cannot be determined by an interview alone as was done in the past.
Similarly, for the post of education officer, for whom over 100 persons have been identified as eligible to fill only 25 vacancies, it would not be fair to the candidates or the interviewers to conduct interviews for this number of persons and identify those considered most competent for the post.
In order to have a selection process which is fair and practical, the Ministry of Educational Transformation, in accordance with the Recruitment and Employment Code of the Public Service Act and in line with international best practices, received approval for a tiered selection process that will allow for the shortlisting of the most suitable candidates who would then undergo an interview process. This method of selection is not new and has been utilised in recent times for other posts within the public service.
The Ministry continues to have its open dialogue with all unions, including the Barbados Union of Teachers. While to have learnt of this outside our usual mode of communication is surprising, we look forward to engaging with them on this and other issues, as we usually do. (PR/BT)
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