The Teaching Service Commission (TSC) says there is no shortage of qualified teachers for government and government-assisted primary schools in Trinidad.
In a media release, the TSC said valid Priority Lists currently exist with more than 200 qualified candidates for Teacher I (Primary) positions in government schools, and more than 250 candidates for similar posts in government-assisted primary schools.
According to the Commission, all of the candidates hold Bachelor of Education degrees and successfully completed interviews conducted by the Ministry of Education, making them eligible for appointment.
The TSC explained that under the established appointment process for denominational schools, school boards are granted access to the Priority List and are responsible for selecting and recommending candidates to fill vacancies within their schools.
However, the Commission said many vacancies remain unfilled because the required recommendations have not been submitted to the Ministry of Education for onward transmission to the TSC.
The Commission also revealed that it has been working with the Ministry of Education on another recruitment and selection exercise for Teacher I (Primary) positions in government-assisted schools.
The exercise, which is nearing completion, involved interviews with more than 400 candidates and is expected to produce an additional pool of over 300 qualified teachers.
The TSC said its constitutional mandate to fill vacancies in denominational board schools depends on recommendations being submitted by the boards.
“Without these recommendations, appointments cannot be finalized,” the Commission said.
The TSC urged denominational boards and other stakeholders to work collaboratively with the Commission to ensure vacancies in government-assisted primary schools are filled promptly and efficiently.
The Commission said this collaboration would help safeguard the educational interests of children and ensure the primary school curriculum is delivered by trained professionals.
