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Chief Education Officer, Laurie King (FP)

Seventy-seven educators will retire from the Barbados Teaching Service by the close of the school year on August 31.

This was disclosed by Chief Education Officer, Laurie King.?? He said this figure represented 55 individuals from the primary section including seven principals, eight senior teachers, 24 graduate teachers, 14 qualified teachers; one special grade teacher and one other teacher.

He added that at the secondary level, 22 educators would have exited the system – two principals, one deputy principal; nine heads of department; two senior teachers; and eight other teachers.

Mr. King stressed that the exodus of senior educators and teachers at the end of this academic year would present a void that must be filled prior to the start of the upcoming school year 2012-2013.

Stating that the Ministry was currently addressing this matter, the education Chief said: "We will continue to ensure that there is not a dearth of educators in the system. Within our Human Resource Department, we are constantly planning for replacements at all levels."

Adding that the trend would continue, Mr. King said that from early January 2013 (The Hilary Term), five other principals will proceed on retirement. These individuals, he said, would first go on a term’s leave from September 2012 to December 2012, before leaving the teaching Service.

While stating that most of the educators would have reached the age of retirement, he said that although 33⅓ years of service was required for full retirement benefits, some persons would have put in over 40 years in the education system.

He also revealed that where retirement occurred at various points in the school year, several teachers had been called upon to act as either principal or deputy principal and a significant number of new teachers had entered the teaching service to work in both primary and secondary schools.

Mr. King further noted that with the opening of three new facilities – the Maria Holder Nursery School, the Thelma Berry Nursery School and the Blackman and Gollop Primary School – three principals, who were already appointed at that level, had been requested "to provide effective leadership to these institutions".

The Chief Education Officer also noted that before the end of the 2011-2012 year, four acting principals were expected to receive their appointment letters. These, he said, would be assigned to the Eden Lodge Nursery School, St. Mary’s Primary School, Hindsbury Primary and Holy Innocents’.

joy-ann.gill@barbados.gov.bb

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