By GENEA NOEL

Freeport News Reporter

genea@nasguard.com

The second semester of the academic year began with a number of teacher shortages at government schools on the island, but officials say that they are working aggressively to fill the voids.

Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) Area Vice President, Quinton Laroda, told The Freeport News yesterday that through the Supply Teachers Program, the Ministry of Education has been able to "ease the situation" at some schools.

One week into the semester which began in January, it was reported two science teachers were needed at the Jack Hayward High School (JHHS) and one at a school in Bimini.

There is also a need for a Social Studies teacher at the Eight Mile Rock High School (EMRHS) and the Sister Mary Patrica Russell Junior High was short a Language Arts and Special Education teacher. An Agricultural teacher at the JHHS left later in the month.

Mr. Laroda said that a temporary science teacher has been placed at the JHHS and the Social Studies teacher returned to the EMRHS.

Principals, he said, are now working to fill the other spots to ensure that they have a full complement of teachers to facilitate students.

He explained that the Supply Teachers Program is made up mostly of retired teachers or persons specializing in a certain field who are interested or willing to teach.

"The temporary teachers receive contracts for three or more months and they do have the possibility of becoming permanent but many of them are retired." He added that the Grand Bahama District does not have a history of using the program.

Principals, however are relieved that it is available to them.

"The program is mostly used in Nassau but we just have to locate the teacher who is needed and the government will bring them on," Mr. Laroda explained.

There still remains a need for an Electronics teacher at the JHHS and a Modern Language and Physical Education teacher at Bartlett Hill Primary School.

'There may be some shortages in some areas but I must commend the schools for working to together and making the necessary adjustments to their timetable to get the job done. In some instances the other teachers are taking the students for P.E which is totally unacceptable but we hope to get those voids filled soon," he stated futher.

Minister of Education Desmond Bannister also acknowledged the teacher shortage situation on the island and told The Freeport News that the recruitment of specialized teachers from the UK would hopefully bring some relief.

"The ministry plans to contract a limited number of British teachers who specialize in Mathematics, English Language and Literature in a bid to improve the literacy and numeracy skills lacking in many public school students," he said

However, last year 60 of the 900 foreign teachers employed by the ministry did not have their contracts renewed as the government was said to be moving to recruit more Bahamian teachers in the educational system.

Minister Bannister said that the public school system has been criticized for producing a number of students who only possess rudimentary knowledge of reading and Mathematics skills, and enter the job market ill- equipped.

He added that of the hundreds of students expected to graduate from COB's teaching program next year, only two teachers are registered in the accounting concentration, 31 in the Mathematics stream, and 18 in Language and Literature.

By contrast, 172 students are expected to graduate from the primary education concentration next year.

Those numbers, the education minister reported, expose the urgent need for the ministry to find and develop more Bahamian teachers who are willing and able to specialize in those areas.

Mr. Laroda suggests that the ministry through their teacher grant program, only award grants to students interested in the specialized areas.

He anticipates that all positions will be filled by the next school year.