Ex-TTUTA Tobago officer: TTUTA has lost its way

Black Immigrant Daily News

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THA Assistant Secretary of Education Orlando Kerr. FILE PHOTO/THA –

THA Assistant Secretary in the Division of Education, Research and Technology Orlando Kerr believes the TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) has lost its way.

Kerr, a fomer TTUTA Tobago officer, was speaking on the Tobago Updates morning show on Monday, as the island’s teachers responded to the call by its union to stay home to “rest and reflect” on the first day of the new school term.

TTUTA was offered a four per cent increase in salaries, across the board, similar to other public-service employees. Last Friday, TUTTA’s general council rejected the offer in a letter to the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO).

While he doesn’t support the call, Kerr said, “The association has to do what the association has to do, whereas the division and the ministry also have to do what they have to do.” He said from his role now, he is hopeful that teachers will turn out to school.

“I have to take that position. There is a greater responsibility now where we have to ensure that our students are supervised, and our students are getting what they went to school for.

“But I understand why the association is doing what they are doing, and I’m saying that I am not against the association for taking their position, but as assistant secretary for education, my position would be that I would like teachers to be at school today to have our students – those who are nervous and so on, coming in for the first time – (for teachers) to be there to greet them and to have them oriented and so on into the schools.”

He believes TTUTA currently lacks the direction it once had.

“I have a concern and I am of the view that TTUTA presently have lost their way. I say that because I have no qualms (at) the issues being highlighted, which is what TTUTA is supposed to do. I have no qualms with any officer of TTUTA fighting for the rights of teachers, fighting for better working conditions of teachers. I have no challenges with the shortcomings of the division being highlighted – that is the role of TTUTA and fighting for those things.

“My concern – and I have been observing for a while – TTUTA stands on certain principles, at least when I was there, and when we had certain kinds of officers. There are two things that I remember distinctly being told as a young officer in TTUTA – do not get involved in the politics.”

He said TTUTA is an organisation and there has been the debate as to whether it is a union or a professional organisation. He said TTUTA operates differently from other unions.

“We were a bottom-up organisation – which means that the membership will determine the way forward on matters, and not the persons at the top, and therefore when you are representing, you are representing your membership. It is not about you, it is not about how you feel, it is not about anything personal. It has always been about the membership.”

He cited examples which included the Tobago officer discussing the Education Secretary’s personal life and her allegedly “zessing” lifestyle.

“TTUTA has always been an organisation that operates in a professional manner and therefore we would have always highlighted the issues and stayed away from personal attacks and so on.

“You are not representing yourself, and when you go out there and you make these kinds of statements, you are representing the association. Is it that that is the association’s position?

“I am concerned about some of the utterances being made, whether it is a Tobago position – as far as I am aware there is no Tobago TTUTA and Trinidad TTUTA, there is one TTUTA. Therefore the position that you espouse as a Tobago officer has to be a position of TTUTA, has to be a position of the teachers. It cannot be your position.”

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