“Teacher absenteeism is an issue that goes deeper than many stakeholders may imagine. It is an issue that affects developing as well as developed countries, their economies, their schools, and their students. Researchers claim that it strongly affects school effectiveness; that it results in the loss of school days, which in turn has been found to diminish student academic achievement; that it helps to damage a school’s reputation; and that it creates and sustains a ripple effect on student absenteeism.”
—Raymond S Hacket (2009).
An examination of the 2012 report from the Ministry of Education (MOE) to the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) reveals some startling figures on teacher absenteeism. There are, give or take a few, 14,000 teachers in the entire public school system, ie government schools as well as denominational schools. Some 8,000 or so are secondary school teachers and around 6,000 are primary school teachers.
Of that 14,000, there are 1,443 teachers, that is more than ten per cent of the total, who will be investigated and possibly have disciplinary charges brought against them for not coming to school. In a recent report Zena Ramatali, president of the National Parent/Teacher Association called for a meeting of stakeholders in the education sector to address the problem of teacher absenteeism in the country, particularly she said as it pertains to government schools.
According to the 2012 report, which is a compilation of data on teachers’ absences and late arrivals sent from school principals to the ministry, it matters not the educational district nor school classification, there are equal offenders across the board. The report is still being analysed, so the schools have not yet been made aware of their status within the report. For that purpose, the names of the schools have been withheld.
A denominational school in the Caroni district has the dubious honour of housing the teacher with the most number of absences on the list, a number which suggests that the teacher in particular stayed away from school for the entire year. The teacher with the most amount of late arrivals can be found at a government “prestige” school, also in the Caroni district; 12,800 minutes late for the year 2012. Worked out to the day, the number suggests that teacher would have arrived one hour and 20 minutes late for school every day for the school year. Also, some of the schools considered to be the “better” or “prestige” schools in the Port-of-Spain and environs district are high on the absenteeism list. Some have between ten to 15 teachers on report.
While it can be argued that the figures mentioned are the extreme end of the scale, figures showed quite a number of teachers staying at home from 20 to 100 times per term. The numbers mentioned are considered after teachers’ duly entitled leave time have been deducted. Teachers are legally entitled to 28 paid leave days; 14 days sick leave and 14 days casual. They are also entitled to all public holidays and all school vacation days; Easter vacation, July/August vacation, and Christmas vacation. They also get Carnival off.
‘Teachers can be charged with misconduct’
Chairman of the TSC Hyacinth Guy said the problem of teacher absenteeism was “epidemic” and feels that there is enough evidence to suggest that more teachers could be charged with misconduct. “Absenteeism is a discipline problem, so a disciplinary charge should be brought against teachers who do not come to school.” She said charges have been brought against teachers, “but not enough.”
The TSC, recognising the problem, has tried to get a handle on the situation by implementing policy. The policy on teacher discipline in schools was first established in 2007, and amended and reissued in 2011.
According to the original TSC policy guidelines for handling discipline in schools “where the allegation of misconduct or indiscipline made against a member of the Teaching Service, the principal shall report forthwith (that is within the same school day) to the permanent secretary using the established procedures.” The procedures being that the permanent secretary in the ministry reports the incident to the director of Personnel Administration (DPA) who will bring it to the attention of the TSC for further action.
“But that list speaks to urgent serious offenses where it may require that the officer be removed from the teaching environment. But dealing with a situation of absenteeism the requirement is not as urgent, there is no implication of danger so the TSC, we made an amendment.”
The amendment provides that for disciplinary issues outside of what has been outlined such as matters “that threatens the stability of the school, impacts the delivery of the curriculum or the ability of the principal or other administrators to manage effectively,” the principal will report the matter to the permanent secretary via the established procedures within three working days of becoming aware of the issue.
So within three working days of discovering a teacher is guilty of being absent, a school’s principal is supposed to report the matter to the PS, the PS reports the matter to the TSC within five days, and then has a month to investigate the report and make a recommendation to the PSC to charge the teacher. Guy said that has not been happening.
“The principals are submitting their reports but the ministry is not following through. The reports are not coming to the TSC. We are still awaiting the 2011 reports. We want the reports on who we need to lay charges against. “Every month the reports go from the schools to the ministry containing data on regularity and punctuality. “Why are we not getting the reports so we can lay charges of misconduct?”
But looking at the 2012 report, Guy said as it is “it is just data.” She said there was a lot of work to be done to turn that data into information. “We really need to look at the figures, district by district, study the numbers, analyse it and send in the school supervisors to see what is happening; why are teachers staying away from the workplace,” she said.
If found guilty of misconduct teachers are subjected to the penalties as outlined in Section 110 of the Public Service Regulation as adopted by the TSC. Guy said there are seven options for sanctions to be taken; “dismissal; reduction in rank, reduction in renumeration, deferment of increments, stoppage of increments, reprimand or a fine.”
Absenteeism used as a weapon against principals
An academic at the School of Education, UWI, feels the problem of absenteeism at the nation’s schools cannot be fixed. “In Trinidad and Tobago, go to the Judiciary, hospital, offices of the public service, what is the common denominator? A dislike or lack of commitment to work. What is the work ethic? Are laws effective? What are the sanctions?” he questioned. “What you see happening with absenteeism was left to get out of hand.”
At the end of the day he said it comes down to poor management and poor leadership and places the blame on the shoulders of the ministry and school officials. “We have a serious management and leadership problem...and not only is it a serious problem, it is a hydra-headed problem, but we do not have the content with which to make it better,” Hacket said.
“The principals inspire no one in the organisation. In fact, absenteeism is often used as a weapon against the principals; get me vex and I don’t come to school.” He also cited poor leadership and poor structures, a failure of the ministry and a lack of structure and a lack of will that does not allow action to be taken against deviant teachers. He made the point though that no issue should be made if teachers take their 28 days leave.
“Now, you cannot talk about absenteeism if people take their 28 days. If that is proving to be part of the problem then buy out their leave.” While no study has been done on teacher absenteeism in Trinidad, Hackett in 2000 wrote a paper speaking directly to the 28 days legally afforded to teachers:
“School teachers have been caught up, unwittingly, in a cultural malpractice, without fully understanding its ramifications. Really, what does one do if conditions of work mandate that 28 days—14 sick and 14 occasional—are available with pay to you each year? Legally, what is wrong with enjoying this privilege?
“No one has taken the opportunity to painstakingly explain to teachers the implications of this leave agreement for which their unions have fought so hard. Neither the Ministry of Education nor the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) has seriously addressed this problem. While TTUTA, on several occasions, has raised the matter within the context of the provision of substitute teachers, the ethical and curricular dimensions of teacher absenteeism were never coherently treated.”