PM Stuart orders Commission of Inquiry at Alexandra

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados -- Prime Minister (PM) Fruendel Stuart has chosen the way of a Commission of Inquiry to gather more insight into the controversial matter(s) at one of this country's secondary schools.

The Alexandra School issue has witnessed its school principal, Mr. Jeff Broomes at loggerheads with thirty-odd of that school's teaching staff, and their representative body, the Barbados Secondary Teachers' Union (BSTU) and its president Mary Redman.

The Alexandra School teachers, who were on strike at the start of the last school term on January 4, returned from strike action after meeting with PM Stuart.

PM Stuart at that time said, "I have secured the agreement of the BSTU, that their members, who are presently on strike from their work at the Alexandra School will return to work on Wednesday morning ..."

The teachers had returned to work in good faith with the belief that the PM would be taking a number of phases, or steps, to bring resolution to the matter.

The BSTU then met with the PM on Tuesday last, to hear when phase 2 would be applicable as the matter seemed to be at a standstill. The PM has now revealed that he had passed phase 2 every since, but was unwilling to say to the media and the country what phase he was at.

The PM has now commission an inquiry at which time retired Judge Justice Frederick Waterman will head a Commission of Inquiry into the Alexandra School.

Some have argued that the setup of a commission of inquiry is usually a waste of taxpayers monies, and might also backfire. In the famous words of Sir Humphrey Appleby, the head of the civil service in the Yes, Prime Minister TV series, "never commission an inquiry without knowing the outcome".

Is the PM merely then buying time throughout this impasse?

The BSTU on the other hand has chosen to return to industrial action.