A set of new workers – including teachers required to meet this school year –will be drawn from persons already in the public sector, as the Government says “no new employment is contemplated.”
Education officials have said they need at least 85 new teachers, along with other support staff, to meet the challenges of COVID-19, as schools look to reopen next week.
Information Minister Melford Nicholas says that once the new teachers are identified, they will have to be trained, first, before being placed in the classroom.
He says recruiting among persons who are already in the service is more cost effective than seeking persons from outside, given the financial constraints the Government faces.
This recruitment drive is being undertaken “to ensure that, in the event a teacher is absent –and there cannot be … a doubling of classes in this COVID-19 era – there will be no need to send students home,” Nicholas explains.
The Information Minister says that for subjects requiring a special skill or certification, teachers may be sought outside of the Government system.
Other workers who will fill the positions of cleaners, groundsmen and security officers “will all be drawn from those in the public service who are currently not very busy, because of the impact of COVID-19 on many government services,” it was noted.
