‘Extremely alarming’ the number of new teachers needed by Sept 2023– Hon deCastro - Minister looking to beef up salary, professional development & training for VI teachers
BAUGHERS BAY, Tortola, VI– The Education Ministry in the Virgin Islands (VI) is grappling to retain teachers in a scenario described as ‘extremely alarming’ by Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Honourable Sharie B. deCastro (AL).
2023-06-09 16:27:38 - VI News Staff
Hon deCastro made the revelations while a guest of Talking Points aired on ZBVI 780AM on June 5, 2023.
This she said has prompted a need for the Ministry to prioritise professional development for teachers and other moves to retain current teachers.
“I’m going to be making a statement in the House [of Assembly] very soon about the number of teachers we have to find between now and September and it's actually extremely alarming, the young Minister stated, positing that the situation is due to teachers retiring and others leaving.
Hon de Castro added that regionally, teachers in the Cayman Islands, for example, get a starting salary of about $70,000 while in the neighbouring US Virgin Islands (USVI) it is $50, 000 starting August 2023.
The Minister revealed that in the VI the starting salary is $31, 000 for a qualified teacher and said as such, some of the teachers in the VI have left to take up better opportunities from regional neighbours.
Salary review talks ongoing- Hon deCastro