GRENADA - The Technical and Allied Workers’ Union (TAWU) has given its moral support to the efforts to have a teacher accused of engaging in serious behavioral impropriety removed from the secondary school, in the nation’s capital, where he is employed. Sometime during the last academic year, the incident surrounding the allegations made against the teacher received national attention when the Minister for Education, Senator Franka Bernadine, along with other officials from the Ministry of Education addressed the nation on prime time television. At the time, the accused teacher was removed from the school environment and placed in the Ministry by the Grenada Public Service Commission, pending the outcome of investigations. At the time, many persons felt that the Minister for Education had acted improperly and hastily and could have jeopardized the progress of the investigations, since the matter was already in the hands of the Public Service Commission, the body authorized under the Constitution of Grenada to handle such matters. The PSC had already removed the teacher from the school environment and was seemingly following standard procedure. Some weeks ago, the nation received the news that the teacher was to be returned to the school where he was employed because of some ‘procedural technicality’. It is also believed that the teacher might be seeking compensation for damages resulting from defamation of character. It is not certain, at this time, whether the televised prime time program of the Minister for Education may have contributed to this outcome. Since the news of the reinstatement of the teacher to the classroom was made public, there has been much disappointment, dissatisfaction and outrage emanating from various sections of society. The Minister for Education, as well as members from the Department of Social Services (who had initially investigated the allegations and provided their report), the religious fraternity, NGOs, Trade Union and concerned parents have since registered their deep concern. As a result of this development, a mass protest is being planned for Monday September 7th by groups opposed to the decision to reinstate the teacher within the school system. The protest is scheduled to take place at the Queens Park. According to Senator Chester Humphrey, the professional report of social workers cannot be ignored on any technical grounds and the teacher, who is the subject of the report, must be removed from the school environment. While this remains the subject of conversation at this time, and people are openly venting their sentiments on the matter, both for and against the decision.Some Grenadians are questioning the wisdom underlying the protest action and the precedence that will be set by such a demonstration on Monday.They feel that this has the potential to seriously erode the influence and credibility of the Public Service Commission (as an impartial entity, free from political interference) and by extension, other institutions in the country like the courts and government. The following is a press release from a local organization: A meeting was held this afternoon, Tuesday September 1, 2009, between the Grenada Association of Professional Social Workers, the Grenada National Organisation of Women and parents of the school involved in the issue of the reinstated teacher. Recognizing that the state and all institutions have the responsibility to protect children from all forms of abuse, and noting that teachers and schools inherently have a duty to uphold this principle, the meeting has decided that the groups will take action to ensure the safety of the children of the school. This action will include the following: 1. Calling on the Ministry of Education to declare that professional misconduct has occurred. 2. Writing to the Public Service Commission to request that the reinstatement of the teacher be reversed. 3. Seeking the support of the Grenada Union of Teachers, Parent Teachers Associations of all schools in St George’s, the Management Boards of all Denominational Schools and the wider society to rally on the cause of protection of children. Should the reinstatement not be reversed, we are advising all concerned that we will be picketing the school and the streets on Monday morning, September 7th from 7:30 a.m. To this effect, we are seeking the support of all parents and citizens nationwide to be prepared to join us to show solidarity for the cause of child protection and the need to ensure that effective systems are put in place in Grenada to ensure the safety of all our children.