Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says the long-awaited restructuring of teachers within the primary school system has been delayed due to complex demographic and administrative challenges facing the education sector.
The issue recently resurfaced following comments by President of the Dominica Association of Teachers, Mervin Alexander, who noted that teachers at the secondary school level had already benefited from restructuring while primary school educators continue to await similar reforms.
Responding to concerns about the delay, Skerrit explained that government must first address significant differences in student enrolment among schools across the island before implementing a new management and staffing structure.
According to the Prime Minister, some schools now operate with very small student populations while maintaining relatively large teaching and administrative staff. In certain communities, declining enrolment has led to schools with only a few dozen students yet employing multiple teachers and principals.
Skerrit pointed to examples within his own constituency where two separate primary schools share the same building while collectively serving fewer than 50 students. He said circumstances such as these have complicated efforts to create a uniform restructuring model across the education system.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that purely from a financial standpoint, school consolidation could be considered. However, he stressed that the government recognises the important role schools play in communities and has sought to avoid measures that could negatively affect rural areas or lead to teacher retrenchment.
“The government understands the importance of a school in a community,” Skerrit stated while explaining why authorities have chosen to proceed cautiously with any reforms affecting primary education.
He said the current pause is intended to give policymakers time to examine how best to improve management structures in primary schools while preserving teaching positions across the system.
Government officials continue to review enrolment trends, staffing levels and administrative arrangements as part of the process. While no timeline has been announced for implementation, Skerrit indicated that authorities remain committed to achieving the objective of a more effective and balanced management structure for primary education without reducing the number of teachers employed within the school system.
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