Education Ministry to reduce reliance on expat teachers
Education Minister Sharie de Castro said there are plans in place to increase capacity in the local labour force in the hope that this may reduce the BVI’s current reliance on expatriate teachers.
While speaking during the House of Assembly (HOA) yesterday, de Castro said the global teacher shortage posed an ongoing challenge that is expected to persist. She, however, noted that the ministry expects to see significant changes upon the completion of the compensation review, which will support a request for additional funding in the upcoming budget cycle.
Although the ministry is seeking to establish partnerships regionally in order to attract graduates interested in teaching overseas, the Education Minister said the government is working assiduously to increase the teaching pool locally and reduce the dependence on overseas teachers, given the global teacher shortage.
She told fellow lawmakers that it is no secret that teachers are leaving the profession in droves due to low salaries, high workload, and limited resources, among other factors.
Lawmakers heard that the Education Ministry received an unprecedented number of refusals after offers were extended recently, with most citing dissatisfaction with the remuneration package as the basis for their refusal.
According to the Education Minister, nearly 60 teachers were needed to ensure a full complement of staff at the start of the new school year. However, she said that the Ministry prioritised recruitment over the last few months and this allowed most of the positions to be filled.
The Teaching Service Commission recommended the employment of some 44 applicants, with 38 of these already in place and the remainder joining the Ministry by mid-September.
She said this meant that some 15 vacant positions were left unfilled — six at the primary level and a further eight at the secondary level.
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How is the government planning on hiring more local teachers? Just with remuneration packages? Are there qualified teachers not currently teaching that they will attract? Or are they talking about persons becoming qualified? Or even, hiring non-qualified teachers?
Now they asking for problems. They will create a more insular and shallow population. This is crazy and small minded
We don’t want qualified foreign teachers teaching our B V Islanders nonsense. We can do that ourselves with our own unqualified job seeking out of work Belongers
Has she heard some of these young people speak? Or seen their spelling? Heaven help our children!
I would like to really see her do this. More than half of her teachers are expats and they are good if not excellent at what they do. The teachers who graduated from HLSCC can’t stand near the qualified expats teachers. Their program was substandard. She has no real vision for education. She’s grab on to STEAM without a plan. All over the world is looking for migrant teachers. She better don’t end up like Jamaica. Because she has no vision, the education system will perish
She is so wrong..We need that mix, that blend is so important to our standard and discipline..We are a diverse society, diversity in all aspect in necessary. A 70% local to a 30$ Xpats is good balance. We need that..
Surely in a small inward looking community like the BVI we want as many foreign teachers, qualified in the first world, to come and teach in our schools. It will help open out children’s minds to the rest for the world and perhaps understand that there is more to a culture than teenage girls with very little clothing simulation sex on the street during festival!
Less reliance on expat teachers is a good thing!!
Due to the Ministers policy and remuneration offer 44 teachers have to do the work of 60+!! No other business would operate smoothly with a 25% reduction in workforce. Pay the damn teachers and stop being so greedy (Million for a lift, 2.25 mil for dancing, overseas travel,greedy bill….the money’s there just not spent on education.)
Question…Why is the school/student population so high? May I suggest that there is a direct correlation between the number of teachers needed and student population.
It’s all in the mismanagement of the Virgin Islands’ population!
A native Virgin Islander to the Nth generation
Expat teachers have no interest teaching in the BVI public school system since it is a negative recommendation on their CV. They want to teach at the private schools for better compensation and a positive recommendation on their CV.
Sharie speaks very well, she learned how to motivate the teaching body but let’s face the facts……… This is just hot air. Sharie has nothing on her track record to show improvement in that ministry. Maybe better communication but teachers still need better salaries, teaching resources, pens, ink, toilet papers, fans, etc.
If we are being honest, all 13 have failed us and Sharie has done nothing to improve teaching in the Virgin Islands.
So why are some of the private schools losing the teachers to the public schools. You just chatting nonsense.
When this happens i am sorry for our children . Local young people have no interest because they will not put in the energy nor hard work. They tell you flat the clock has gone time to go . They take two days every three weeks …
Have mercy . Only a few local young people are passionate about teaching . The talented, hardworking local teachers have retired . Not this generation of young local!! The work does not fit their pay grade
well rest in peace education is all im gonna say
Bible studies needs to be redeveloped, reintroduced and implemented in the public school system and it needs to be thought at all grades. If some students, parents or guardians do not want to engage in bible studies courses, give them other option or electives but it should be in the course offerings.
They are teaching the children of the updeislun dominant population comprising of immigrants from Jamaica,Guiana StVincent and the Dominican Republic.
Children of BVIslanders don’t count.They are at the bottom consideration as it now stands in the hierarchical septic tank which was once known and respected Virgin Islands.
BVIslanders who can afford the cost,seek out private schooling or ship their children off island or the family moves.
Good luck with that
At ABC….. You sound real silly….. why in 2023 they are still teaching children that Columbus discovered the dam Virgin Islands? Doesn’t matter who is teaching local or expat. And the expat teacher taught the same s**t to students in their native country. Brainwashing all around.