Shortage of CSEC teachers being addressed aggressively in Kwakwani – REO assures

Although a grave shortage of teachers is hampering the delivery of education in Kwakwani, Region Ten, Regional Executive Officer [REO], Mr. Orrin Gordon, has vowed to address this shortcoming.
According to Gordon, plans are on stream to aggressively deal with the challenge which will manifest shortly with the recruitment of some eight teachers.
These teachers, the REO informed, are expected to help prepare students for the upcoming Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate [CSEC] examination later this year.
The teacher-shortage situation was first brought to the attention of the Regional Democratic Council by Councillor Mavis Lewis who made clear that there is need for it to be addressed urgently since a number of CSEC students are currently without tutelage.

Regional Chairman, Renis Morian, had instructed the REO to immediately launch an investigation into the matter to ascertain what can be done and why the students have been without teachers for some time.
Gordon has since reported that the Department of Education has been able to secure the services of some teachers for Kwakwani, something that has been a challenge.
But Gordon assured that his office is working closely with the Education Department to have this matter corrected, swiftly.

According to him, one of the greatest challenges in attracting teachers has been linked to accommodation. He explained that despite some teachers being from Linden, they do not have accommodation in Kwakwani.
Although works have been completed on living quarters for officers working in the region, it was revealed that this facility is yet to be furnished. “The quarters that will be housing these officers are finished but we are awaiting the furnishing that has to go into the building before the officers can take up their accommodation. There are four teachers who have been sent in and we have space in the teachers’ hostel as well. However the greatest challenge now is furnishing; that is the burning issue,” REO Gordon said.

He said, too, that he envisions that within the shortest possible time that this matter would be resolved.
According to the REO, with efforts being made to acquire the required furnishing, he anticipates that the teacher-shortage issue would soon be resolved.

“I am confident that we would have secured the furnishing that is needed and we will be able to get eight teachers required for the schools in Kwakwani,” Gordon said.
The REO has since urged Councillor Lewis to continue playing a vital role in closely monitoring the situation in Kwakwani.

He said that it is her vigilance that caused the Region to become aware of the situation that exists. Because of such vigilance, he said, his office received the needed support to address the shortcoming in a timely manner.
“At the end of the day we are part of the situation and we need to be vigilant as there may be instances where persons may try to thwart the process but we need to be focused and vigilant on the matter,” REO Gordon said.