NASSAU, The Bahamas – There is no need for the Government of The Bahamas to apologize for recruiting teachers from neighboring countries such as Cuba and Haiti, Minister of Education, Science and Technology the Hon. Alfred Sears said on Monday (September 25) as he welcomed 14 new Cuban teachers to the country.
The Minister said that students in some remote Family Islands, as well as in New Providence, will benefit from the expertise of the 14 Cuban teachers.
Orientation for the Cuban teachers was held at the Uriah McPhee School, Kemp Road, where they were also welcomed by Bahamas Union of Teachers president Mrs. Ida Poitier-Turnquest and His Excellency Felix Wilson, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to The Bahamas. The Cuban teachers were also joined by two Haitian-born teachers.
“We must be unapologetically committed to the national development of our people,” Minister Sears said. “We recruit teachers from all over the world, and we do not apologize to anyone that we recruit teachers from our neighbors, that is the Republic of Cuba and the Republic of Haiti.”
The latest group of teachers will focus on Spanish, mathematics, physical and special education and other areas. Minister Sears said this must all be looked at in the context of the overall relations between The Bahamas and Cuba.
Recently the Cuban Government upgraded its Consulate in the Bahamas to embassy status, and the Bahamas has established a resident embassy with a resident ambassador in Cuba.
Minister Sears noted that The Bahamas was not only focusing on Cuba in finding talent to help boost education in the Bahamas. Recruitment was taking place in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Asia, the Caribbean and Africa. So far over 1,000 foreign teachers have been recruited.
He urged Bahamians not to thumb their noses at Haitian and Cuban educators. He pointed to the historical linkages between The Bahamas and Haiti in particular, the latter being the first black Independent country in the world
“There was a time when we (Bahamians) ran away from these islands to get to Haiti,” he said, recalling the days of slavery when to land on Haiti entitled a slave to freedom under the Haitian Constitution.
“So just as we have been assisted by the Republic of Cuba, we have also been assisted by the Republic of Haiti,” he added. “Jose Marti (Cuban Revolutionary leader) reminded us many years ago that the security of this region, this home that we call the Caribbean, is only secure if through the fraternal solidarity that we give to each other as Caribbean people; the security of The Bahamas, the security of the Republic of Cuba is more intact, preserved with the fraternal solidarity that we give to each other.”
Ambassador Wilson pointed to the strengthening of relations between Cuba and The Bahamas, and indicated that the Cuban Government is willing to share its expertise, particularly in education and health care. He said Cuba has graduated over 500,000 in the last 47 years, including thousands of teachers.
“We have doctors almost all over the world,” the Ambassador said, adding that The Bahamas can look forward to more teachers next year. The process is two-way in that the Cuban teachers also have something to gain being in an English-speaking environment.
“We come here also to learn and we will like this trend to continue,” Ambassador Wilson said. “It is the policy of the Cuban Government to help other countries in need. I welcome the Cuban teachers as well… I wish you all the best and I can promise on their behalf that they are not going to let you down.”
Mrs. Poitier-Turnquest welcomed the news teachers on behalf of the Bahamas Union of Teachers. She said they had no choice but to be a part of the union once they are teachers in The Bahamas.
“We have decided this year that we are going to work in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to ensure that education in The Bahamas gets to the level of pure excellence,” she said. “We are here to represent you. We are the body that steps in. If you get into school and if something is not right you come to us.”
