Monday, March 15 2010

TUTORS at the Long Life Learning Centre in Point Fortin are appealing to the Education Ministry to pay salaries owed to them for the past four months. The tutors earn approximately $1,200 a month.

At the Vance River, Point Fortin centre one tutor said not only are the nine employees affected by the non payment but also the more than 100 tutors who operate throughout the country. These tutors teach students from age 15 to 60 years, on weekdays from 5 pm to 7 pm.

One of the frustrated tutors lashed out at the ministry saying failure to pay the salaries could very well lead to illegal activities.

“For the October/November period and the January/February period...no salary. We are only getting a series of excuses from the ministry. They (Ministry officials) can eat and drink but some tutors depend heavily on the salary, meagre as it is, to survive. Just now some of us may resort to stealing to pay bills and other expenses,” the tutor said.

Attempts to contact Rory Subiah of the ministry’s Communication Department for a comment have so far proved futile.