NEW STRUCTURE FOR TEACHING SERVICE WITHIN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Minister for Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training and National Excellence, Hon. Octavia Alfred has announced a new organizational structure for secondary schools.

She stated that this structure was proposed in the 2019/2020 Budget of Recovery: Modernization and Transformation and mandated the Ministry of Education to come up with more progressive structures that will address the numerous complaints and support the professionalism, output, security, career development and upward mobility of these services.

'The current school level organization structure lacks a clear career path and provides limited opportunities for middle management. It is within this context that the restructuring of school level supervision was proposed. The structure is premised on the need to maximize the use of existing human resource while providing an acceptable structure for staff mobility,' Hon. Alfred stated.

Minister Alfred then detailed the new positions which will form part of the new organizational structure.

'The proposed organizational structure includes new and upgraded positions for secondary schools and will include the following categories as articulated by the Hon. Prime Minister: Principal, Deputy Principal, Assistant Principal, Heads of Department, Senior Graduate Teacher, Graduate Teacher, Senior Qualified Teacher, Qualified Teacher and School Counselor. These structure emphasizes the importance of the functions of officers at various levels as well as maximizing the skills of staff in areas where they can perform best. In addition to promoting professional growth the structure provides opportunities for teachers to advance in responsibility and compensation while allowing them to make significant contributions within the school system without having to give up teaching functions,' she explained.

Hon. Alfred noted that his new structure has also resulted in a budgetary increase for the Ministry of Education for the payment of salaries.

'Cabinet has therefore approved the following: the upgrade of seven positions of principals of secondary school. The creation of the following new positions for Government secondary schools: 15 Deputy Principals, 7 Assistant Principals, 87 Heads of Departments, 28 Senior Graduate Teachers, 70 Senior Qualified Teachers, and 16 School Counselors. As a result of the creation of these new positions cabinet has also approved an increase in the budgetary allocation for salaries to the Ministry of Education, in the amount of $1,296,873.84 annually' the Minister stated.

The Minister went on to say that this new structure is evidence of Government's commitment to creating a public service that encourages upward mobility.

'In addition to providing upward mobility for over 200 teachers, the promotion of teachers will create vacancies at the graduate and qualified teachers' level to allow for permanent employment for teachers who are currently temporarily employed or on programme requirement. This decision reflects this Government's commitment to provide a better deal to our teachers and create a public service that promoted professional growth and is part of the ongoing comprehensive organizational review and reclassification of the public service of Dominica. We have maintained our commitment to the permanent employment within the teaching service at all levels. Within the last few weeks the Public Service Commission has approved the appointment of 12 principals and within the last year the Commission has approved the permanent employment of 60 teachers,' Hon. Alfred added.

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