By Venus Honore-Gopie Monday, September 7 2009

Better salaries, upgrades to schools’ infrastructure and proper working conditions were among the few wishes Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) president Rouston Job had for today’s budget.

“Education is the driver of any nation,” Job said yesterday ahead of today’s presentation by Minister of Finance Karen Nunez-Teshiera in Parliament.

Job said education should be seen as part of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the nation, and added the budget should include the construction of more schools, increased salaries for teachers and a more secure working environment.

“I do hope in coming with the allocation for education those things will be taken into consideration, with education being the driver of the nation,” Job said.

He explained there is a need to attract and retain the services of teachers since there is a shortage of teachers for such key subjects as mathematics.

Job said TTUTA was also concerned about local contractors who have built early childhood care and educational centres and hoped they would continue to get work under the construction programme.

Job also hoped repairs will be completed to those schools which are still to be converted from the three-year junior secondary system and said there were too many pre-engineered classrooms for students.

He also wants an upgrade of access roads to several schools such as the Cumaca RC School, which is located off Valencia Road. He said students and staff have problems getting to and from the school because of the poor condition of the road.

The focus should also be placed on special education tutors, many of who endure poor working conditions.

Public relations officer for the Association of Denominational School Boards Sat Maharaj said greater emphasis should be placed on upgrading water supplies to rural areas and also for those in agriculture. And of course, he wants a better school system.

He said it should be the responsibility of the State to assist with paying the bills for electricity, and water at schools. He explained although denominational schools are deprived of certain necessities they turned out to be the top schools which produced scholarship winners.

“These are people’s children that we are looking after and denominational boards should be supported in an effort of providing for our students.”

President of the Association of Principals of Public Secondary Schools Angela Iloo said principals would like upgrades to the older school buildings which can house proper offices for heads and deans to function.

“We would like to see new and improved classrooms, laboratories and if it was possible expansion to building. Most schools seem to be functioning but are in need of physical improvement.”

She said her wish for the budget was that it would also provide for counsellors at schools.