As the academic year draws to a close, the president of the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers (ABUT) is sounding the alarm over a persistent gap in school security — one that he says violates the rights of teachers and students alike.
According to Antigua Observer, ABUT President Casroy Charles has warned that students and staff are completing the term without the round-the-clock security that teachers are legally entitled to under a collective bargaining agreement.
Charles's statement highlights an ongoing concern that schools across Antigua and Barbuda have yet to meet the security standards enshrined in the agreement negotiated on behalf of the teaching workforce. With the school year nearly at an end, those obligations remain unfulfilled, he indicated.
The collective bargaining agreement in question legally mandates continuous security coverage at school facilities — a provision that, as reported by Antigua Observer, has not been implemented as required.
The ABUT president's warning raises serious questions about the safety of school environments and the government's commitment to honoring its contractual obligations to educators. Teachers and students deserve to operate in secure conditions, and the union's leadership is pressing for those standards to be met without further delay.
