NPTA tells parents: Keep child in school until transfer is final

Walter Stewart -

THE TT National Council of Parent Teacher Associations (NPTA) is urging parents who are seeking school transfers for their children to follow the proper procedures even though the process remains long and bureaucratic.

NPTA president Walter Stewart made the appeal as he expressed sympathy for parents frustrated with the system that continues to affect students’ education.

The issue was highlighted in a Newsday article published on November 10, where an Arima teenager had been out of school for two years because of delays in getting a transfer.

The 14-year-old was reportedly bullied by classmates in 2023 and was removed from school by her mother after officials at the East-West Corridor institution allegedly failed to intervene to protect her.

Stewart said the girl’s case was not unique.

He said the NPTA recently became aware of another case in September where a parent applied for a transfer and waited weeks for a reply.

He urged the Arima teen’s mother and other parents in similar situations to ensure their children remained in school while waiting for a transfer, warning that they could face legal consequences if they did not.

“We therefore want to urge the parent in the first instance to ensure that the child goes back to the original school until such time that the transfer has been approved by the ministry,” Stewart said.

“There are chains of command. If you are frustrated, take your concerns to these chains of command and follow through the process until its finality.”

He said parents should first lodge their transfer requests with the school supervisor in their district.

If there is no resolution, the matter can be escalated to the director of school supervision, then to the chief education officer, and finally to the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Education.

Stewart explained that delays were largely caused by the manual system used, where applications must physically move from district offices to the Education Ministry in Port of Spain, where they join a large stack of requests from across the island.

He said he hoped the ministry’s efforts to digitise its operations would help speed up the process.

Bullying has been a persistent problem that students, parents and school officials face.

Some parents have resorted to taking matters into their own hands to resolve issues between their child and bullies.

Stewart warned that such actions only made situations worse.

“Going into the school, being abusive, taking the law into your own hands would not help the situation at all. My advice, therefore, is to go back to the school, address the matter with the principal in the first instance, and follow the chains of command to address these situations,” he said.

Stewart: Police in schools not enough

Stewart added that while having police officers in schools had made some difference at troubled institutions, more still needed to be done.

He said schools must properly implement the national discipline policy and codes of conduct to reduce violence and disorder.

“If these schools simply implement what are the instructions stated in these particular documents there should be a drastic reduction,” Stewart said

“You see, it appears as though the tail is wagging the dog, because students know that when they commit infractions or when they go awry, nothing is being done really to them. In other words, the schools are not strictly adhering to what is contained in the document.

“There are different layers of infractions, and if school administration simply follow the instructions as stated in the document, it should allay some of the situations taking place in our schools.”

Meanwhile, former president of the TT Association of Psychologists Kelly Mc Farlane has urged parents to pay close attention to their children, as many victims of bullying may keep their experiences secret.

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She explained one reason children were not telling their parents that they were victims of bullies was because they were afraid of how their parent would react.

“I think it's important for parents to stay attuned to what's going on with their children emotionally,” she said.

“Be a listening ear. Even if you want to encourage them to fight back, even if you want to encourage them to deal with conflict in a social way, you still want to be able to hear how they feel so that they know they can talk to you about how they're feeling.

“Let them know you're proud of them for telling you. Ask them how they want you to respond. And even if they say they don't want you to get involved or whatever, keep records. Maybe you keep in touch with the principals and the teachers, but, work with the child on it.”

Mc Farlane said bullying was a complex issue that required both victims and bullies to get help for any psychological challenges they might be facing.

She urged parents of bullies not to condone the behaviour, but to take steps to address the cause of it.