Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh told the Trinidad Express on Tuesday he is not pleased with he called the "inaccurate" findings of the Teaching Service commission on the principal of the Tunapuna Hindu school.
And he threatened to exercise overriding power that he has under the Education Act to deal with the country's school system.
"This matter is going to come to a head because I intend to deal with the TSC," Gopeesingh told the paper.
The TSC, which acts independently, has cleared Sita Gajadharsingh-Nanga of all allegations of wrongdoing at the school. However Gopeesingh said that conclusion is in conflict with reports from two school supervisors who visited the school.
"The report from the TSC does not reflect accurately the information from the school supervisors. The TSC has arrived at a widely varying view from the supervisors," he said.
Gopeesingh said he is also concerned that while the school supervisors recommended an immediate transfer for the principal, the TSC said it would add her name to the list of applicants. "That could take as much as two years," he said.
"The question is now over the role and function of the TSC as a so-called independent committee. They are autocratic and high-handed. It was clear from the evidence that things not working out at all at the school," he said.
"I am now questioning the independence of the TSC," he added.
The minister said under Section 5 (g) of the Education Act the minister has the jurisdiction to "do all such other things as may be found expedient from time to time for the carrying out of his responsibilities for education and training". Gopeesingh said he intends to do just that.
"The TSC's findings are simply not acceptable to me. They made their decisions independent of the evidence before them and did not call the people involved in the situation to even do interviews," he said adding that the TSC board "flagrantly ignored" the submissions from the school supervisors.
The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) board has alleged the principal was not abiding by the rules of the school and has taken it upon herself to close off the library and computer room from pupils. She was also accused of not handing out Ministry-issued books.
And he threatened to exercise overriding power that he has under the Education Act to deal with the country's school system.
"This matter is going to come to a head because I intend to deal with the TSC," Gopeesingh told the paper.
The TSC, which acts independently, has cleared Sita Gajadharsingh-Nanga of all allegations of wrongdoing at the school. However Gopeesingh said that conclusion is in conflict with reports from two school supervisors who visited the school.
"The report from the TSC does not reflect accurately the information from the school supervisors. The TSC has arrived at a widely varying view from the supervisors," he said.
Gopeesingh said he is also concerned that while the school supervisors recommended an immediate transfer for the principal, the TSC said it would add her name to the list of applicants. "That could take as much as two years," he said.
"The question is now over the role and function of the TSC as a so-called independent committee. They are autocratic and high-handed. It was clear from the evidence that things not working out at all at the school," he said.
"I am now questioning the independence of the TSC," he added.
The minister said under Section 5 (g) of the Education Act the minister has the jurisdiction to "do all such other things as may be found expedient from time to time for the carrying out of his responsibilities for education and training". Gopeesingh said he intends to do just that.
"The TSC's findings are simply not acceptable to me. They made their decisions independent of the evidence before them and did not call the people involved in the situation to even do interviews," he said adding that the TSC board "flagrantly ignored" the submissions from the school supervisors.
The Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) board has alleged the principal was not abiding by the rules of the school and has taken it upon herself to close off the library and computer room from pupils. She was also accused of not handing out Ministry-issued books.
No comments:
Post a Comment