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alexk
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The Trinidad and Tobago Association of Private Secondary Schools (TTAPSS) is calling on Education Minister Anthony Garcia to speak the truth.
TTAPSS acting president Leslie Hislop, in a release issued yesterday, stated that he cannot allow Garcia’s statement’s at Thursday’s post Cabinet media briefing to go unchallenged, stating that his claim there was no impasse between the private secondary school and himself was inaccurate.
Garcia had told reporters that the schools had asked for an increase of school fees from $1,200 to $5,700 per student per term and was hoping to have the matter sorted out by the end of July.
He said on the basis of continued discussions they would come up with a recommendation for new fees which he would take to Cabinet for approval.
“The minister is ignoring the fact that there is an impasse. There are barriers preventing effective communication, and consequently misinformation has passed into the public. From this stand for truth and reconciliation in education, the private secondary schools call for action by providing the facts,” Hislop stated.
Hislop said in the last 30 months, the association has been working with the Education Ministry to ensure equity, inclusion and an appropriate environment for effective teaching and learning for students who are assigned places in their schools.
He said the public/private partnership which Garcia spoke about was severely eroded because of his indifference to resolving their challenges which were outlined to him in meetings and in writing.
“The breach in his (Garcia’s) management at the ministry has resulted in the schools’ subvention not being paid on time and no explanation forthcoming. The minister has taken the approach of ignoring the issue of resolving the increase to these schools which have been paid the same rate for years, while still placing students in our schools without a plan to give any support for an increase since 2015 to date 2018.”
Hislop said private secondary schools continue to provide an excellent education product and have nurtured students against violence and poor management that occur in other schools.
“In 2018, the minister retaliated publicly because the private secondary schools have raised the issue of his ignoring to deal responsibly with the increase in the payments for government- sponsored students placed at private secondary schools,” Hislop said.
“The minister then suddenly states he is reviewing information required to take to Cabinet and that discussions are taking place with the schools. The truth is that two meetings were held. At none of these meetings can it be said that discussions are taking place. The private secondary schools were repeatedly asked to provide a list of information that the ministry would use to determine a figure to propose to the Cabinet.”
Calls to Garcia’s phone went unanswered.