While the country was grappling to come to terms with the troubling revelations related to the controversial survey administered by the Inter-American Development Bank to first formers at five secondary schools last week, another development in the education sector received passing attention but was of no less import.Last Thursday, news surfaced that special grade teacher Alwyn Babb of the Lester Vaughan Secondary School was found guilty of misconduct and had been suspended for three months on half pay. The punitive action was a result of him contesting the January 19, 2022 general election in the St Peter constituency on behalf of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), for which he was charged and suspended on April 6 this year.Barbados TODAY also learned that the second teacher suspended for contesting that poll on a DLP ticket, Pedro Shepherd, has been placed on a further three-month suspension but with full pay since he cannot be suspended on half pay for more than six months. A decision on Shepherd’s case is still pending.Babb’s representative, trade unionist Caswell Franklyn, revealed that his client received a letter from the Ministry of the Public Service which also indicated that if he wanted to appeal to the local Privy Council, he could do so by applying in writing to President Dame Sandra Mason, through the Clerk of the Privy Council, within 14 days of receiving the letter.
