Education Ministry Halts Cuban Hiring, Eyes U.S, Canada & Local Teachers Instead

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Ministry of Education has paused its plan to recruit more Cuban teachers for the upcoming academic year, and is now exploring other options to fill upcoming vacancies.

Director of Education, Dominique Mccartney-Russell, confirmed the decision this week with a local daily, noting the ministry will now look to the United States, Canada and retired local educators to step in.

The change comes as Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. Michael Darville, recently revealed that recruitment agreements with Cuba are being suspended.

U.S. Authorities have expressed concern over the Cuban Workers Program.

Currently, there are about 130 cuban teachers working in The Bahamas.

However, Bahamas Union of Teachers President, Belinda Wilson is speaking out, defending the long-running Cuban teacher program.

“Ministry of Education should have informed the Bahamas Union of Teachers of the dilemma, and they should have held meetings to discuss the way forward…sadly this was not done, and I note that retired teachers will be re-engaged. The Bahamas Union of Teachers supports that,” Wilson said.

When asked if the teachers will be allowed to finish out their contracts, Mccartney-Russell says there are no guarantees:

“Many of whom will be traveling back to Cuba this week for their summer break, which begs the question, will they be returning? We need to know what is their status, and if they are not returning, how will the gap be filled?,” she said.

She says the cuban teacher exchange has been in place for some 20 years.

When it comes to plans to hire from the U.S., Wilson is cautious, calling it a wait and see approach.

“…The starting salary for a teacher in The Bahamas was just increased in our 2022/2025 industrial agreement, from $25,200 to $28,700…so I wonder which teachers are going to leave the United States, where their salaries range from 42,000 to 71,000 per year,” she said.

She says during recent union negotiations, the top teacher salary in The Bahamas was raised to $43,400, an amount earned by some teachers who’ve been in the profession for 30 years.

…Canada salaries range from 53,000 to $95,000 per per year with an average salary of $69,000…so it’s a wait and see,…but the Ministry of Education must assure us that adequate teachers will be in the classroom when schools open [in] August…the Bahamas Union of Teachers will be watching,” Wilson said.