WITU President Roxsana Pantophlet.
PHILIPSBURG--Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) President Roxsana Pantophlet has raised serious concerns over the state of public education, saying the Minister of Education’s message of optimism does not match classroom realities.
Pantophlet said Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Melissa Gumbs had delivered a stirring back-to-school address, urging “students to focus on their goals, parents to stay engaged, and teachers to enter the new year with enthusiasm.”
“On paper, it is a stirring call for unity, progress, and renewed dedication,” Pantophlet said. “And yet, the irony cannot be ignored. While the Minister speaks of recommitment and innovation, our public schools remain unprepared to open properly on the very first day.”
According to Pantophlet, too many students are welcomed back to “leaking classrooms, unfinished repairs, or a lack of essential resources.”
Teachers, she added, are urged to inspire but often must do so under conditions that “undermine their ability to focus on ‘what they do best.’”
She also questioned the priority being placed on grooming standards and hair-related policies, even before legislation on hair discrimination is passed.
“Even more striking is the energy with which schools are being nudged to comply with grooming standards, particularly in anticipation of pending legislation on hair discrimination,” she said. “Before this law is even passed, school boards are already being told to adapt. Yet when it comes to the far more urgent issue of school readiness, ensuring buildings are safe, classrooms equipped, and resources in place, the same urgency mysteriously evaporates.”
Pantophlet asked why “appearance policies [are] enforced with vigour, while infrastructure and preparedness languish year after year.”
She agreed that education is about preparing young people for their future, but stressed that such preparation must extend beyond appearances. “The Minister is right: education is about preparing our young people for their future. But preparation is not only a matter of what students wear or how teachers motivate. It is about whether our leaders match words with action, ensuring that when children walk into school on the first day, they step into an environment that reflects the ‘growth, progress, and opportunity’ they are promised.
“Until that happens, these speeches, no matter how eloquent, ring hollow. Inspiration must be paired with accountability. Our children deserve more than beautiful words; they deserve functioning schools.”
