The Parent Teachers Association (PTA) of the San Fernando TML Primary School scored a major victory yesterday when controversial teacher Alfaz Hosein agreed to a transfer from the school after parents said they no longer wanted him there. Hosein’s future as a teacher now lies in the hands of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) which will sit next Thursday to consider and determine which school he will be transferred to and within what time frame.
Asked if now that Hosein has been placed in full glare of the public and is likely to face similar action when his transfer is confirmed what would be done in those circumstances, his attorney Subhas Panday said: “We will cross that bridge when we get to it.” The agreement to a transfer was reached between Panday and Anand Misir, who is representing the PTA, prior to the hearing of an injunction filed by PTA president Wazir Hosein (no relation) in the San Fernando High Court.
On the basis of this, the injunction, which also named the TSC, Ministry of Education and Director of Public Administration (DPA), was withdrawn when the matter came up before Justice Peter Rajkumar. Outside the High Court, Wazir Hosein said: “We were successful this morning in having gotten a consent order where Mr Alfaz Hosein has given an undertaking that he will not report for duty at the San Fernando TML Primary School until the determination of application for transfer by the TSC.”
The PTA president also staid the ministry, through its counsel, had given an undertaking that the teacher will suffer no loss of income until the TSC had considered and determined his transfer application. “So as it stands, he is not to report for duty at the TML primary school and as a result I have withdrawn the application for the injunction.” Hosein expressed gratitude to Panday, who appeared amicus Curiae (friend of the court), for having the matter resolved so quickly.
Panday, who had represented Hosein at the TSC tribunal, in which all matters against him were dismissed, said in the interest of the welfare of the students, he felt the fight should not be carried on in a way that would cause the students to suffer. “I also thought of him and considered if this matter is prolonged he would have been in the public eye and subject to more ridicule,” Panday said. Both Panday and Misir said they were quite happy to have found a way forward to resolve the matter to everybody’s satisfaction.
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PTA president Wazir Hosein, who filed the injunction against Hosein (A) to prevent him from resuming, said that resolution meant normalcy would return to the school. “I want to advise parents that all our contingency plans, which were in case or in the unlikely event that we were unsuccessful, be withdrawn. We will be in full educational mode tomorrow (today). During a PTA meeting on Tuesday, there was concensus that in the event the PTA was unsuccessful in its bid to prevent Hosein from resuming duties, parents would shut down the school and continue their protest.
He said contingency plans were also made to have classes for Standards Four and Five students at another location. Parents began their action at the Farrah Street school last Friday when Hosein attempted to resume duties. Hosein (A) had been suspended while the TSC probed allegations he acted inappropriately with an 11-year old student some four years ago. He was subsequently cleared of the charges.