Although Bahamas General Certificate of Examination (BGCSE) results revealed that students are averaging a “D” grade on a national scale, Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) President Kingsley Black commended educators for “A” efforts.
“While it is nothing to throw a party about [the fact that we have an average of ‘D’], it shows that despite insurmountable odds, teachers in the public school system are producing,” Mr. Black said.
He said last year, the national average was a “G”.
“D in regular terms is just a pass, but, Jesus, if we were down to G and we move up to D, that’s progress. I am proud, and I take my hat off to my colleagues who…are having a positive impact on the delivery of quality education in the Bahamas,” Mr. Black said.
All 3,500 teachers in the public school system and those in the private school system were saluted by the union president.
Mr. Black also said the BUT will go back to the polls for new elections to appoint its board of trustees, and its constitution is being amended.
Mr. Black made this announcement during a press conference Monday, after union lawyers Bannister and Co determined that one of the 14 amendments to the union’s constitution is defective.
Section 20 of the Industrial Relations Act requires that the Registrar supervise all elections for officers of a trade union.
But the Registrar did not supervise the July 4 election.
The BUT leadership accepted full responsibility for the “error”. “This unfortunate situation was precipitated by a process involving the labour department and the BUT leadership and membership,” Mr. Black said.
“Contrary to the view of a minority group within the union, our lawyers advised that the question of new elections for all positions on the executive committee does not arise.”
The defect will cause new elections for four trustees to be held on October 16th, 2002. One trustee will be elected for each of the four membership districts: Grand Bahama, New Providence, the Northern and Southern Bahamas.
By the 56th annual meeting next July, the BUT constitution will be amended to align the rules to match legal requirements, according to Mr. Black.
“Because of the requirements of the law, the director of Labour/ Registrar of Trade Unions had superimposed legal requirements on the union. Consequently, the (BUT) constitution no longer reigns supreme, because of this particular matter. The law reigns supreme,” Mr. Black said.
Effective September 1st the BUT reinstated its membership as an affiliate of the National Congress of Trade Unions. The self-imposed suspension went into effect November 2001 and was lifted by the 55th annual general meeting this July.
In addition, Jamaican Teachers Association President Paul Adams has launched a campaign for Kingsley Black to become the next President of the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT).
The CUT approved that its 32nd biennial conference will be held in Nassau, Bahamas in August 2005.
