Education Minister Kenson Casimir says a special ceremony will soon be held to mark what he describes as the first summer payment to cooks, cleaners and other ancillary workers attached to Saint Lucia’s Ministry of Education.
Casimir said the payment recognizes the contribution of workers whose services help schools function effectively and provide students with a suitable environment for learning.
“Very soon we’ll be expecting to have a very nice ceremony for, you know, signaling the first ever payment of summer payment to cleaners, cooks and other ancillary staff at the Ministry of Education,” he said.
The Minister described the initiative as a testament to the Government’s broader approach to supporting all aspects of education.
“It is a government testament to all aspects of education being touched and developed in this nation,” Casimir said.
He said the Labour administration had consistently sought to provide greater employment security and support for workers.
“The Saint Lucia Labour Party has been a government that has been consistent in ensuring that we provide this level of, you know, some form of security of tenure to as many people as possible,” Casimir said.
According to the Minister, the Government’s approach is based on recognizing the contribution of workers and compensating them as far as the country’s economic circumstances allow.
“We believe that at the end of the day when individuals work well, they work hard, that we will compensate them the best we can based on the economic activities in the country,” he said.
Casimir also highlighted the financial pressures faced by cooks, cleaners and security personnel during the period leading into the new school year.
“I have not met a cook or a cleaner or any of the security guards that do not have children,” he said.
“For some reason, they have a family that from time immemorial, they’ve been struggling in the month of August to provide that level of support going into September.”
The Minister said August is particularly challenging for families because of the expenses associated with children entering a new academic year.
“It’s a critical month, especially the first month of getting into a new form, a new grade, that we see as very important for the students to settle in as quickly as possible,” Casimir said.
He was also asked whether the summer payment initiative would continue in the future.
Casimir expressed confidence that it would remain in place under a Labour administration.
“I do not see a Saint Lucia Labour Party not continuing such an endeavor,” he said.
The planned ceremony is expected to formally recognize the payment while highlighting the contribution of ancillary staff to the education system. Their work, often carried out away from the classroom, supports the daily operation of schools and contributes to the environment in which students learn.