National Strike updates/ watch/ News

[~Vēġó~]

2-1-2 from week 2..... wait whose side am I on again?

orrr right......yeah dem teachers only studyin' de money and not teachin we chirren!!!!!

[ingalook]

Actually we can take 1/2 days... you can imagine how that could frustrate people if we coordinate 5 half days in a week...

Why things have to reach here? and again we negotiating for 2008-2011 in 2013 now...

People question the morality of teachers taking such action... but how moral is it for the state to offer us 8% for a period where there was 40-50% inflation?

[De Dragon]

Wait nah... is strike dat fella want we to strike for the holidays?

I hear de whole country "striking" for Carnival this year...

I think you just prove it have some teachers who really eh doing dey wuk...

Again hypocrisy and lies because if you really felt strongly about what you claim you're fighting for, you'd beat that pavement everyday, but then again not on YOUR time,only on people time.

[De Dragon]

HAHA look how fella get vex. maybe my attitude reeks of Composite skool, but i went there during skool time eh, not during vacation like you. Like i say b4, allyuh upset and vex cuz yuh hadda get babysitter. Up to the non-teachers of this country, teachers should be working for minimum wage, squatting and walking to work. Everybody want a nice standard ah living .........so what about teachers??? Yes it have the bad apples, but it have waste ah time drs, engineers, lawyers, etc etc....y the the good ones hadda always get ah bad name for the bad ones.

Vex? No. Babysitter? Read again where I said I have support to see my kids when you guys choose not to work, and it was the lack of education that I was protesting.

[De Dragon]

Gimme ah minute tuh get meh shades, cuz yuh halo blinding meh.......
I'm sorry if you feel offended but that's what you signed up for soldier, so either do what you're getting paid for, or pack it in. You think 2 am when rain falling bucket o' drop and TTEC decide to bestow we with a power failure I could say well dem eh paying meh enuff so I eh wukkin? NO, its haul yuh rass and start up de people and dem equipment. I came to terms with the less desirable aspects of my job like night shift, working for kids' birthdays,Christmases etc from the get go and I suggest you do likewise. You with your million days off and daylight eh know nutting about me or what I do, so relax.

nope de dragon ...u wrong...teachers are not paid to wipe yur chile snatty nose and to counsel those and all other stuff mentioned by ingalook...they are not paid for all these extra work...its not in their portfolio and job spec.....

One of the most insincere things in life is to do stuff for people and then somehow expect some kinda reward other than acknowledgement. Slow your roll skidmarks, let big people discuss this........

[ingalook]

Oh... I think I get what you talking about... you saying strike during vacation but you mean protest...

If they call us to march I going... I din't go up to POS just to stay home from school, I coulda do that at home ent?

Teachers don't do those extra things for recognition... but it is far more insincere to come out and call teachers criminals etc. when you KNOW all the extra they do...

Just maintain our purchasing power man, we not asking for an increase in real wage... we asking for our purchasing power to stay the same basically

A couple years back I gone republic bank to my professional club guy and he was all like "this is awkward..." - we got kicked out of the "professionals club" because we no longer made enough money to qualify - talk bout shame

2 teachers who are married would only qualify for a $700k - $750k mortgage... I can tell you form experience that can't buy a half decent house... but we get too much to qualify for government housing and land incentives... this is the reality

[hustla_ambition101]

ingalook, you could justify your case til your fingers turn blue, some people have formed an opinion and will not change it no matter what is said. I am not a teacher, neither are any of my immediate relatives but I do understand the issues teachers face and support them 100%, most have no idea of the new breed of students and parents that have to be faced on a daily basis, keep up the fight.

[Chimera]

i'm with the teachers on this

knowing how bad/troublesome a student i was and how my teachers could have easily given up and say "well firetruck he, if he eh wha do he work, hard luck" and they didn't

and i've seen students in PCS get even worse now, keying teachers cars when they vex, sexually harassing female teachers....all kinda bs


the teachers have no choice but to protest to get their voice heard.


if the parents have a problem with that, stay home with your child and teach then or pay to send him private school.

[Soul Collector]

Allyuh complaining the cost of living gone up and you cant survive on 2008 salary (or was it 2009 I not sure). And I know a whole unit of ppl working with 2005 salary who never get a raise ONCE and no matter how hard they try they cant get an audience and they still doing what they hada do or leaving for betterment.

Everybody else, which is most ppl, getting WAY less than allyuh teachers some who work much harder and longer too. With same family to mind and everything and allyuh staying home wasting children time to strike. Steups eh.

How much money a normal teacher making now? And how much with the demanded increase will they make after?

[neilsingh100]

Looking at the performance of the students in the so called non prestige schools, most of these teachers are glorified babysitters and want to be paid at market rates of similarly qualified professionals without any accountability.

The good teachers find ways to get their worth through private lessons, writing books etc. The majority them are a waste of time and would not survive one week in the private sector.

[hustla_ambition101]

Looking at the performance of the students in the so called non prestige schools, most of these teachers are glorified babysitters and want to be paid at market rates of similarly qualified professionals without any accountability.

The good teachers find ways to get their worth through private lessons, writing books etc. The majority them are a waste of time and would not survive one week in the private sector.

[*$kїđž!™]

Looking at the performance of the students in the so called non prestige schools, most of these teachers are glorified babysitters and want to be paid at market rates of similarly qualified professionals without any accountability.

The good teachers find ways to get their worth through private lessons, writing books etc. The majority them are a waste of time and would not survive one week in the private sector.

you are focusing too much on teachers......The majority of students in the non prestige schools are your future cepep workers, the future car thief who would steal your car etc....

Its really tough trying to teach them the worth of a good education as their parents even dont care to guide them as well......I have heard that teaching in these schools is similiar to that of a prison officers job....trying to ensure the peace, trying to instill morals in these ppl.......Its a tough job......

Teachers go thru the same courses as you did to get your qualifications ..degrees and masters ...dip ed....b ed etc......so how can u say they want to be paid without accountability....they have earned their degrees just like you............

Yeah well I know for sure ppl in the private sector would not last a term in a teaching position in a non prestige school.............

you guys talk too much and draw conclusions.....you all are not in the field with these students to know how tough it is.......have u ever seen these kids walking thru town with their uniforms on after school?.......Look at their behaviour.....Imagine teachers have to deal with 40 of them in one class for hours and hours...days after days........I feel sorry for teachers.

[hustla_ambition101]

^^^logic eludes most people here. When travelling I avoid vehicles with too much of these school children due to their smelly, dirty clothing, their lack of manners and their raucous, loud obnoxious and obscene behaviour and most of their conversations are loud and unintelligent. I can't stand them for 20 minutes in a maxi, imagine how teachers must feel

[neilsingh100]

Teachers go thru the same courses as you did to get your qualifications ..degrees and masters ...dip ed....b ed etc......so how can u say they want to be paid without accountability....they have earned their degrees just like you............

Getting a degree does not make you a professional... In the private sector it is competence, skills and experience and ability to meet specific performance targets allow you to keep your job and get promoted. From what I hear in the teaching service there is no performance management system so it is a free for all with no accountability.

[*$kїđž!™]

neilsingh....there are evaluation forms filled out every year....they are called confidentials.....Teachers are given a performance review and given a grade by their superiors which would in turn be forwarded to the ministry of education.....Unfortunately this grade doesnt result in any big bonuses which the private sector would receive based on his evaluation..........If the teacher scores well he will be able to keep his job...If not he will be reviewed by the ministry....

There is also the talk of a new performance measurement scheme ...PMAP......to be on stream soon..

also apart from this......teachers are accountable for getting passes in their respective subjects every term......and passes for CSEC.....CAPE.....SEA......are also measures used to scrutinize teachers performance.........

[Hook]

Now, ah sorry he lorse he house eh, but yuh cyar blame d teachers if you didn't teach your seven year old child NOT to play with fire.

Alan Maloney, you lose at life.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Boy ... 05821.html

Boy sets house on fire with lighter
Story Created: Dec 1, 2012 at 10:57 PM ECT
Story Updated: Dec 2, 2012 at 6:08 AM ECT

A STE MADELEINE four-bedroom house was destroyed by fire on Friday after a seven-year-old boy played with a cigarette lighter on the premises.
The father of the boy and owner of the house, Alan Maloney, of Manahambre Road, said he left his son alone at home to go on a job.

Maloney said: "Teachers were on strike and he did not go to school. Parents, this is a lesson. Never leave children at home alone."

Fire broke out at the concrete and wooden house around 2.30 p.m.
Neighbour Nyron Hamid said: "I went with a hose, and the other neighbours formed a bucket brigade to out the fire. But the flames and the heat were too much. We couldn't go close to the house, we couldn't save anything."

Fire tenders from the Mon Repos Fire Station arrived at the scene and extinguished the blaze.
Maloney, a refrigerator and stove repairman, said he went to Hope Road, Princes Town, on a job.
He said the child told him he was playing with a lighter under the house, and papers caught afire. When the flames grew, the boy ran to a neighbour's house.

Maloney said his son's schoolbooks, uniforms, toys, and personal items were destroyed. The child is a Standard Two pupil of the Ste Madeleine Government Primary School.
"My son already got some Christmas presents and everything burned up. He is very upset about that," Maloney said.

He said he is seeking the public's assistance and he can be contacted at 340-4800.

[ingalook]

I know it harsh but child services should contact that man... he leave a 7 year-old home alone???

This is a sampling of the parents we have to deal with... second and third generation "bad-boys" that is the same father who will never come in for a PTA meeting or even parents day - but appear if they feel their child has been wronged and want to mash up de place and buss de teacher head...

As for the performance of the Gov secondary schools - Naps gets an intake of 95% and better students, depending on the year, it may be students who are even higher... there are a few lowr achieving students they take in as a "bligh" cause their parents are wealthy etc.

My school gets students ranging from 80% to 30% (sometimes lower) we have no remedial teachers but we somehow have to deal with this spread... of course the 80% are minority

I remember a teacher once using the analogy of a 100m race - they starting out with a student 10m from the finish line, we starting out with students on the 70m from the finish line - gun go off, their students run 10m and finish and evererybody bawl "yay!!!" and congratulates them, ours students run 20m but still under-perform in your eyes and then everybody want to fleck up the teachers...

We just get a student to run 20m allyuh.... what you put is what you get out... we are not alchemist or magicians

I went to a prestige school, and I can tell you, the teachers I teach with now are at least as good as the teachers that taught me...

[*$kїđž!™]

Now, ah sorry he lorse he house eh, but yuh cyar blame d teachers if you didn't teach your seven year old child NOT to play with fire.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Boy ... 05821.html

Boy sets house on fire with lighter
Story Created: Dec 1, 2012 at 10:57 PM ECT
Story Updated: Dec 2, 2012 at 6:08 AM ECT

A STE MADELEINE four-bedroom house was destroyed by fire on Friday after a seven-year-old boy played with a cigarette lighter on the premises.
The father of the boy and owner of the house, Alan Maloney, of Manahambre Road, said he left his son alone at home to go on a job.

Maloney said: "[size=200]Teachers were on strike and he did not go to school. Parents, this is a lesson. Never leave children at home alone."[/size]

.

Teachers were not on strike on FRIDAY........

look at this man.......Looking for somebody to blame other than himself.......he never taught his kid not to play with matches / lighter?........He want teachers to do everything for him?.....

[~Vēġó~]

unfit working conditions...get OSH to shut them school tuh fack down next term.....

[brams112]

Just saying if the pay not to teachers liking why can't they get another job?because they work 5 days a week multipy by four weeks,what is their salary for the month again?

[Swisha]

Just saying if the pay not to teachers liking why can't they get another job?because they work 5 days a week multipy by four weeks,what is their salary for the month again?

what do u do? public or private sector? how long have u worked for without asking for a raise?

[*$kїđž!™]

Just saying if the pay not to teachers liking why can't they get another job?because they work 5 days a week multipy by four weeks,what is their salary for the month again?

if everybody think like u then there would not be any teachers in schools...

[brams112]

Swisha skids,ur still did not say how much they are paid.OH private sector,if ur can't stand the heat get out,go to slave for uncle sam,because obvisouly people don't know what it is to lose your home because you lost your job,or the economy crashed.People here still don't know how to live within their means.Everybody striking now because they will never have the chance again.

[veedubtt]

^^^ boss, u know why ppl striking at all??? do u understand the use of unions and bargaining agreements? some teachers do know what it is like to lose dey homes eh killa. some teachers do know what it is like to 'pull bull' to make ends meet eh. U could manage a household on a teacher's salary? mine ah wife and 2 kids? bills, dr bills, grocery? Like i does say here always, ppl go only be happy when teachers working for minimum wage, walking to work an squatting. FYI, ah teacher with a undergrad deg and a post grad dip making less than 10k a month after tax eh.

[veedubtt]

and some ah allyuh go jump up and open yuh rear end and say.....well go look for ah wuk somewey else....some ppl like to teach eh. THey just want to be paid justly.

[Hook]

that's a pretty baseless and uninfomed statement...but it's been the general tone of this thread from the get-go...some spend a mango season in d cold and suddenly become experts on public transport, the petrochemical industry, law enforcement, national finance, industrial relations and public sector administration

say what, it's painting time again!

broad-brush.jpg (15.71 KiB) Viewed 1626 times

[brams112]

and some ah allyuh go jump up and open yuh rear end and say.....well go look for ah wuk somewey else....some ppl like to teach eh. THey just want to be paid justly.

How much ur feel is justly salary pallie?because it takes people a long time of proper planning and saving to get somewhere,nobody here can't tell me about ketching ur a$$,i have known people who lived in shacks that turned into mansions in twenty years and they have kids,bills and all the other things you mentioned,yet did not work for as much you mentioned.

[KURMAman]

^^^

Claim to do? So you never heard of teachers doing such things or even experienced them yourself?

The next step in this impasse will be "work-to-rule" A.K.A. what you and every other worker in Trinidad does 99.9% of the time.
It means we don't take any days and you don't have to find a babysitter so it has little effect on parents, but it sucks for the students.

No Dramafest, PTA, Sanfest, Cricket league, Sec School football league, fundraising, bazzaar, concerts etc etc. if it not in we job-spec, we not doing it

"Sir ah could borrow yuh phone to tell mih mom to pick mih up?" - NO

"Sir look ah boy getting stab up on de corridor!" - "Let the school safety officer handle it!"

"Sir mih dad real beating mih mom... ah fraid he kill she" - "NO TALKING! Class turn to page 364 in your textbook"

Gimme ah minute tuh get meh shades, cuz yuh halo blinding meh.......
I'm sorry if you feel offended but that's what you signed up for soldier, so either do what you're getting paid for, or pack it in. You think 2 am when rain falling bucket o' drop and TTEC decide to bestow we with a power failure I could say well dem eh paying meh enuff so I eh wukkin? NO, its haul yuh rass and start up de people and dem equipment. I came to terms with the less desirable aspects of my job like night shift, working for kids' birthdays,Christmases etc from the get go and I suggest you do likewise. You with your million days off and daylight eh know nutting about me or what I do, so relax.

The difference is you are still doing what you are being paid for, you ever work a extra day and eh ask for no money for it?

If most government services go on "work-to-rule" the public will see an improvement in what they get

I eh saying I do EVERYTHING I mentioned, but I do a good bit, the public quick to point out how much holidays we get but ignore all the extra things the teachers do

x10.

also, ppl think teachers dont do any work in vacations...but when they have to organize a lesson plan/scheme of work/record & forecast..for every period of the term-to-come, its ridiculous sometimes....and if u miss a day, u have to go back and redo it to show as such.
Also, teachers are always held responsible for what happening...iv seen enough fights in classrooms and students getting zero in exams (handing up blank paper and cussing while they walk out de exam room and all) and when parents come in, is more ignorance from the parents..blaming the teacher for the child failing exams.
As ingolook said, if in private sector someting out ur job spec, u eh doing it.fullstop. Teachers not paid to stop fights, ppl smoking weed, cussing and threatening ppl...but everyone else thinks so... "because the children is their responsibility."
As i said before, only if you had to deal with the school children in the government schools, u'll be up front in the march for better wages/allowances...no question about it.

[~Vēġó~]

I say pay the ppl dem dey proper money.....

dem teachers dem does get clothes allowance and shoes and travelling allowances?? Any overtime when they does be outside school hours as in fund raising or stuff like that?

[*$kїđž!™]

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/TTU ... 30451.html

TTUTA calls off march
CPO improves wage offer

By Camille Bethel camille.bethel@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Dec 16, 2012 at 10:49 PM ECT
Story Updated: Dec 16, 2012 at 11:49 PM ECT
The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) has called off its planned march in San Fernando today.
TTUTA had intensified protest action last month, calling on teachers to "rest and reflect" and march through the streets in protest of the Chief Personnel Officer's refusal to budge on her proposal of an eight per cent wage increase for teachers.
On Saturday, members of the TTUTA general council met and made the decision to call off today's march after CPO Stephanie Lewis improved on her proposal towards the wage settlement for teachers on Friday.
In a telephone interview yesterday, TTUTA general secretary Peter Wilson said: "Certainly the sides are coming closer together. After the meeting on Friday, which was a very long meeting because it went for about nine hours, she (CPO Lewis) did make a new proposal which we took to our general council meeting on Saturday.
"The general council looked at the proposal and mandated the negotiating team to continue discussions with the CPO to in fact try and reach some settlement."
Wilson said there will be a special meeting with the CPO on Tuesday with the hope of coming closer to settlement on the wage issue that has been on the table for more than three years.
"It is as a result of that we have in fact called off our march that was scheduled for Monday (today) in San Fernando. The general council thought in good faith we should call off that march," Wilson said.
He added that the proposal made by the CPO on Friday was indeed an improvement from the previous proposal and closer to what TTUTA had proposed at the previous meeting.
"We would hope that after that session on Tuesday we will be closer to settlement, although the issues that are to be worked out are not minor ones," he said.