Schools across the island will reopen on Monday for the new school year after the eight-week summer break for students and teachers.
As a result, last week parents and students were busy with last-minute preparations for orientation sessions and returning to classes.
Obtaining books and supplies was an essential part of the back-to-school preparation.
However, for some, it came down to the wire, with the last shopping day of the week, Saturday, seeing much activity around Castries with late back-to-school shoppers.
The city experienced bumper-to-bumper traffic, long lines, and heavy activity at book and stationery stores, school uniform outlets, and Online Shopping companies.
Outside one particular bookstore, parents appeared quite frustrated while standing in the scorching heat because the store would only allow a certain number of customers to enter at a time.
“I have been coming here for over a week now for three books that I am missing for my children and they keep telling me to come back,” Irene, a mother of two, told St. Lucia Times.
“I came here today and there are so many people here that I am waiting for my turn and the heat is unbearable,” she said.
St. Lucia Times understands that one of the bookstores in the city had faced supply chain issues and delays in clearing the books at customs and sorting them out before placing the items on shelves for sale.
The situation prompted a discussion outside about possibly replacing books with E-devices.
“Every year they making us buy all these books and the children do not even use half the books,” one parent expressed.
There were also long lines at two city outlets that sold school uniforms.
St. Lucia Times learned that while the uniforms are made locally, sourcing the right colour material can sometimes prove difficult and this year was no different.
Online shopping shipping companies’ lines were comparable to those at school supply outlets.
William Peter Boulevard was also a bustle of activity, with parents trying to cash in on school bag deals and supplies from the many vendors parading their wares.
One vendor told St. Lucia Times that this was nothing unusual since it was the end of the month and payday for many.
However, Lambert, trying to source some last-minute stationery, expressed that minimum wage was one thing, but having employers pay on time was another.
“I only got paid yesterday when everywhere was closed already. Some employers wait to pay you on the very last day of the month and even at the end of the work day and I think that is not right especially at times like these and it is something the Government should look into as well,” he said.
I fully agree with the last interviewee. It must be a highly uncaring employer who would consistently pay their workers at the last hour of the last working day in the month. For heaven’s sake, people work to be able to have a life. When is the employee to pay bills, make shopping as well as do other necessary life transactions?
2+2=4 It Does Not Change.Why Do The Books Change Every Year.. Enough Is Enough..Greed Greed Greed..
1) Teachers do not have an 8-week vacation; they remain at school one week after students are sent home and return one week before students come back.
2) If the books are not being used, it is because every child does not have the book–some have no books AT ALL– just because you were able to afford the book, doss not mean every parent was also able to. Imagine a classroom of 40 students and only a handful have the books, how are teachers supposed to make consistent use of the texts? And don’t say photocopying cuz we now pay attention to copyright infringement laws and there are not enough resources to make copies for every child. So teachers create unique materials or extract the info from the text or a website. Also, is your child at the literacy/numeracy/intellectual level to be able to comprehend the info in the textbooks? Even if the book is not being used at school, you the parent can take the initiative and have the child do revision or supplementary work at home.
3) On the point of devices, teach your children to
be responsible and take proper care of the laptops/tablets they are receiving. Too often, they are using it to play video games, join Discord chatrooms, download movies and watch (P)orn. Monitor what your children are doing with the resources the government provides. And when it is damaged, make an effort to have it fixed.
Lastly, parents, make an effort to be present and support your child as well as his/her teachers. Make sure they do the homework, follow the school rules and participate in school activities; come to the meetings (teachers are tired of seeing y’all only once on Orientation Day Form 1 and then once on Graduation Day Form 5)– PLAY YOUR ROLE.
does** not mean every parent was also able to
Also stop having children y’all can’t afford to take care of. Practice family planning. Abstain. Use contraception. Help your children break these generational cycles of trauma and poverty. Teach them values. Teach them MANNERS and RESPECT. Give them structure and stop allowing them to run the household like they’re adults. Let them be CHILDREN. Give them LOVE; stop sending them to look for it (and other things) from the nasty vie neg men and gangs.
I could go on but I don’t want to start the term upset.
I couldn’t agree more.
Ashie, I don’t agreed with you totally, parents needs to put their priorities in place. School close some 7 weeks ago, but the backkanal most want to be in are the alimentary of what’s happening. Employer shouldn’t be a gratifying factor considering the partying parents. If they had tried to acquire the resources from before they won’t be in the Hussle last min. And you should know by now Lucians love to blame others for their demised. Compound with the fact that any adult would know what is required to begin the new school term. If you cannot be hold accountable or be responsible don’t eff and produce kids. That’s logical.
@correction…so true….teachers do not get an 8-week break….i eh know where slu times get dat from….n the parents some u only see on day of results….but i disagree with the copying part…if every school had a photocopier every teacher shud be able to photocopy pages from books for the other students who dont have…..its time ppl use the school’s property for the students’ gain and not their own agenda…and the agenda of their favourite teachers in the schools….
@smh notice on the point of photocopying I also stated there are not enough resources to make copies for every child. At the secondary level alone, students do 13 subjects from Form 1-3. That’s 13 different teachers who would have to make copies. These 13 teachers also teach multiple classes. There are a minimum of 30 students in each class. Do the math. It is unreasonable to expect that scale of photocopying. Ink is not cheap. Whether or not there is favoritism toward certain teachers, schools do not have the resources for what you are suggesting.
When is carnival the costumes paid since January but you’ll deh waiting last minute to buy school books and blaming the bookstores. Ever heard of the early bird catches the worm? People with their priorities straight ain’t complaining cause books buy since 1st week in August. Something to think about for next year. Save the money for your child school books put $100 aside every month from January so you don’t have to wait for pay day
I would just like to say that producing photocopies for students, in the long run will cost the school way more than the books cost in the store. Schools need to put a stop to that “bayteezz”. Go and buythe books. I also think it is unfair to parents who spend so much to get books for their children, that the children don’t get to use the books just because some parents could not be bothered to purchase books for their children.
@ Correction, I really don’t see the value of your correction in 1. The point is school is returning after a long summer break. Even if teachers had 5 weeks’ vacation this is 25 working days which does not include 3 weeks for Christmas and two for easter. The vast majority of workers get less than 25 working days’ vacation in a whole year.
2. As a teacher I expect you to be honest so you can teach the children some honesty. While yes, some children report to school without all the books, it is not the case of the majority not having the books. So your mathematical calculations are meant simply to distort the reality. Yes, some children don’t have all the books but that is not the reason for most of the books remaining unused.
Since you know so much about photocopying laws, I hope you never photocopied while you studied.
3. And what’s the relevance of your point about electronic devices in relation to the shortage of textbooks and the possibility of electronic textbooks? I am not disputing the need to teach children (and adults) the responsible use of technology, but I fail to see the relevance in the context of the topic at hand.
And correction again, you are damn rude to want to think you can tell people if to have children or not and under what condition. From your first statement I guessed that you are a teacher. Well your comment seriously undermines the standards that one should expect of a teacher. Now, I can tell you what to stop doing but SLT might not allow it.
Why don’t you focus on the role of the school and the ministry in giving such a long list of books and materials for parents to buy? Why don’t you focus on the fact that the Ministry gives a prescribed list of books and schools a doing their own thing adding to books to the list?
@Mee Lee Did I hit a nerve?
The 6-week break is the only vacation recognized and even then it’s considered students’ vacation– NOT teachers’. So yes there is a point to the correction.
Next, are you at all schools to know who has the books and who doesn’t? I’m speaking evidence-based facts here and I can tell you the MAJORITY of students do not have books or even stationery for that matter. They can’t afford it. Every school is not SJC/SMC/Hess/Dame Pearlette/Camille Henry. There are many schools where the majority of students come from low SES homes where parents do not work or are living below minimum wage; they do not have running water nor electricity in their homes; they cannot afford basic toiletries like deodorant and toothpaste; the girls have to sleep with men to be able to come to school and the boys have to sell drugs and steal. That is the reality.
On the point of the devices, do you know that the students DELETE the textbooks and applications placed there for them so they can indulge in the activities I mentioned? Do you understand the correlation now? No I didn’t photocopy when I was studying because I was fortunate to be able to afford the books. What is your point?
Also, in addition to the Ministry of Education’s prescribed list, schools can recommend supplementary or alternative textbooks based on students’ needs. All students are not at the same cognitive levels and all textbooks do not have the same info or the presentation might be simpler in one vs the other.
Finally, your guess is very correct and I make no apologies because it is teachers like myself who end up having to provide break and lunch daily in some instances, uniforms, notebooks, bus fares and the list goes on, when parents fail to do their duties. So yes stop having children you cannot afford. You must be guilty which is why you chose only to focus on the negative. Don’t worry, your child(ren) is still in good hands. Only a fool hates correction.
The same way y’all cannot tell the doctors and nurses what’s going on at okeu, and law enforcement what’s going on with the rslpf, idk why y’all think y’all can tell a teacher or anyone in the education system what’s going on in the background. Many of y’all are on the outside looking in.
You invites insultes !!
Good for those who can afford !
But thanks to our Maker
My Grâce is sufficient,to those who cannot afford,
“Your tears will end and your your Joy will come, comfort, comfort, comfort,if only you believe without seeing…
Good news for those who are sterile ❗ For it is written :
“Be glad,O barren woman, who bears no children ; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains ; because more are the children of the male shrines prostitution and the desolate woman (than of her who has a husband)…Galations 4v27..
The LORD is full of compassion and mercy to meet the needs of the desperate mothers..
Hey @Corrections, I am too engaged dealing with preparing to work with my student to respond to all your diatribe. But for your information I am a teacher. But one who cares about her students. And one who would not lie and say that ” The 6-week break is the only vacation recognized and even then, it’s considered students’ vacation– NOT teachers’”, when the collective agreement says otherwise. It say apart from the planning week in August teachers are on vacation during summer break, Christmas break and easter break. Guess you are very short on the reading.
Oh and yes, as a Grade 13 teacher, I can take care of my kids and have a responsibility to assist those who come to me in school.
I can see that you bitter that you not at SJC/SMC/Hess/Dame Pearlette/Camille Henry. Poor jab.
The collective agreement says otherwise but ask the TSC what they’re saying, what they have said as recently as July or did you skip the PDDs? Not bitter at all I’m simply stating facts which you have yet to disprove. Good for you for graciously accepting the responsibility that parents have let fall to you because you and the wider society refuse to hold them accountable. Go and plan “with” your student. But wait, isn’t that what prep week was for? Have a great first day back tomorrow ma’am!
@mee Lee and Correction
Did you’ll read the news about the strong tropical wave that’s approaching, as well as Mpox?
@Redz Yes I did! Shall we discuss?
Bloggers, think of it, this text book thing is a big fraud scheme. Especially at secondary school level it multiply rapidly.
1. In this era which we are now at, why text books rather than a digital library?
2. Why give students laptops, and it’s not being used in classroom for it’s sole purpose? This is where the scam starts from the ministry to fool the kids because when they distribute the laptops parents have to sit and listen to political narrative as if they are campaigning.
3. Teachers are often on their own vibes, and students are on their own.
4. How providing laptops increase the pass rate in the educational sectors, someone provide me some data. Before when it was manual times before school close parents get their kids results etc. Now you have to wait for weeks.
5. Students are given assignment which doesn’t exist in text books, now they go on Google copy and paste, how will they learn, you clowns for teachers by the way I don’t mean all teachers but those know what I am talking about. Students don’t even know how to properly prepared an assignment. With out google it’s an automatic fail.
6. Teachers and students supposed to create a bond so when a teacher speak they listen and conduct themselves very seldomly this happen, I saw a video once where during class time you swear it’s a carnival going on.
7. The MOE needs to revised this short coming which is like a plague, parents needed to come together and file a law suit for fraud against the ministry not the school, the ministry need to stop this foolishness. Another thing why some schools are using different text books and you are on the same level, for what reason?
This is a big time scam.
Next coming
Intelligence artificielle !!
You subjective is very important ❗
Long story short …
For secondary schools : Digitize the text books so the students can have access to it on their devices. Last I knew … The government was still giving laptops to students.
For primary schools : start a text book buy back buy or encourage a used text book donation drive.
Also put projectors and or smart boards in schools and teach the teachers how to use them effectively.
Regardless of what happens, the lazy and grumpy ones like Correction will still complain.
@Incaseyoudontknow all schools are not on the same level and the public is very much aware of this and you see it every year when CPEA results come out. There are specific primary schools that outperform others and these students tend to go on to the secondary schools that also outperform others. As much as we hate to admit it, the students scoring below the mean at CPEA will not be able to follow the exact same syllabus and use the same prescribed texts as those scoring in the 80s and 90s. Hence the reason different textbooks are recommended. It’s based on students’ needs.
@AA lazy and grumpy never. My students will tell you and my file at MoE will as well. You all just hate reading the truth and refuse to be objective. Speak to the teachers and hear what they have to say concerning all the issues raised. Y’all know more and better than the ppl who are in it 24/7? Okay then.