Barbados’ two leading teachers’ trade unions are up in arms about attempts to “unilaterally” change the terms and conditions under which principals and deputy principals are appointed in the public system.In separate statements on Monday, the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) and the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) demanded answers about a decision to offer contracts to the teachers who recently applied for the senior positions, instead of the customary permanent appointments.Barbados TODAY understands that educators who applied for the top posts at primary and secondary schools were informed of the new terms in a letter from the Ministry of Education.Long-standing educators have therefore questioned whether the coveted promotions could come at the expense of decades of accumulated entitlements, including their pensionable rights and security of tenure, if their contracts are not renewed.
