Teachers in Saint Lucia observed World Teachers’ Day (WTD) last week, with Saint Lucia Teachers Union (SLTU) President Vern Charles urging governments to continue investing in the profession.
In a public address, the SLTU president cited troubling trends regarding migration and high turnover rates of teaching professionals, especially in Saint Lucia.
“We are faced globally with a shortage of teachers. In our Fair Helen, master teachers are seeking greener pastures [and] younger teachers are not motivated to remain within the profession,” Charles stressed.
Among solutions to redirect trends, Charles noted a desire for an environment to nurture teachers’ skills and vocation.
Emphasising a need for support for teachers to deploy their talent, Charles stated, “We are called to make teaching attractive by ensuring that our teachers are well paid, have safe and healthy working environments, and are given the opportunity to grow professionally.”
Charles also noted a need for teachers’ voices to influence the integration and implementation of education policies.
The SLTU president said, “As teachers, we will use our voice to advocate, to achieve the ideal, as we aim to always secure a seat at the table and influence policy to bring about the change we seek.”
World Teachers’ Day, observed annually on October 5, memorialises the anniversary of adopting the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.
The recommendation has aimed to set standards regarding the rights, responsibilities, and resources used to nurture teachers and support their work.
Teachers observed WTD under the theme ‘Valuing teachers voices: Towards a new social contract for Education,’ which UNESCO set.
