Dozens of teachers facing disciplinary charges

Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh told reporters Wednesday 58 teachers are facing charges before the disciplinary tribunal of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) for offences ranging from fights with pupils to being arrested and charged sexual offences. He said some of the charges go back to eight years.

Gopeesingh said other charges include conspiring to pervert the course of justice, pornographic texts to students, sexual molestation of students, abuse of students, failure to perform lawful duties, wilful disobedience of lawful orders, physical abuse of other teachers and students and misappropriation of funds.

The minister said some of those under investigation are still in the teaching service, noting that "some have been suspended with half pay, three-quarter pay and some are out of the system." 

He added, "Some may be receiving full salaries while these matters are still awaiting resolution. This is where we need to tighten up with the Teaching Service Commission and the tribunal."

He said he got information on the disciplinary charges only when he asked about it. "Now that I have them before me, we would be able to work with the relevant authorities," he said.
 
"I am moving expeditiously to set up centres with the assistance of clinical psychologists and trained people in management of these students... where they could be fully treated and managed with their parents, as is now done in one other country in the Caribbean," Gopeesingh said.

Gopeesingh his ministry will take up the issue with the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers' Association, Teaching Service Commission and the denominational boards "to look at where we go with discipline".

He noted that it might be necessary to amend the Education Act because the current legislation makes it difficult "to discipline even principals, much less teachers, who are found not to be in sync which their teaching requirements and best practices".

He added, "We have to come up very conclusively and very quickly with some urgent recommendations. Of course the Teaching Service Commission has a role to play," he said.