Parents chased away a Standard One teacher from the San Fernando TML Primary School yesterday, after he tried to report for classes four years after being suspended for inappropriate conduct.
Taking no chances, the parents locked arms and formed a human barricade outside the school in San Fernando. They vowed to take all action necessary to stop teacher Alfaz Hosein from being in contact with their children.
While police kept watch, a few parents even escorted their children out of the gates upon hearing that “sir was coming back.”
The bearded teacher, who wore a topee, first arrived around 10.30 am with two police. They advised that he had authorisation from the Ministry of Education to enter the school. But angry parents demanded to see the authorisation letter, saying the ruling by the Teaching Service Commission to reinstate him was wrong.
President of the Parents/Teachers Association (PTA), Wazir Hosein, said, “We do not understand what is happening. We have a confession from him...We have numerous complaints about him that he is not doing his job, yet we see that he is being allowed back. We will have none of it.”
Hosein said he gave evidence at the tribunal yet never got any official news about the reinstatement or findings.
“We tried to get information about the ruling and we did not succeed. We now have to use the court to get it. If it is true that he has authorisation, we will appeal the matter,” Hosein vowed.
After Hosein was chased off, he returned to the gates again around noon accompanied by Insp Harripersad Ramnarine. A meeting was subsequently held with the school supervisor and the PTA.
Ramnarine later said it was collectively agreed Hosein would not enter the compound.
Hosein said parents did not want to subject the students to undue stress. He said a meeting will be held this weekend to decide the next step.
TML board in dark
Manager of the school and representative of the Muslim Board of Education, Sheraze Muradali, said yesterday that the board was also in the dark. He said the teacher was charged for inappropriate conduct at the school.
Saying the board had not received any reports from the ministry detailing why the teacher was allowed back in school, Muradali said discussions were continuing.
“Until we get something in writing we cannot allow him in here. If we get a copy of the authorisation we will look at it and we will appeal it because the grounds is for him to be dismissed not sent to another school,” Muradali said.
Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh could not be reached for comment yesterday as calls to his cellular phone went unanswered. His communications officer Visham Ramsawak said based on all the evidence given, the ministry passed information to the Teachers Service Commission, who cleared the teacher of all charges.
“He has to be reinstated. The Minister of Education, the CEO and the Permanent Secretary does not have the power to transfer that teacher to another school,” Ramsawak said.
Contacted yesterday, president of T&T Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) Devanand Sinanan said he would investigate the matter before he made a comment. The teacher declined comment outside the school yesterday.