Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: The best insight, instant feedback, accountability. The all new talk radio Freedom 106.5.
[00:00:08] Speaker B: At this time we welcome to our program president of the TNT National Council of Parent Teachers association, that's Mister Walter Stewart. Good morning to you. Welcome to our show.
[00:00:23] Speaker A: Good morning Mister Mahavia and of course thanks for having me. Thank you for the invitation and of course a pleasant Wednesday to all your listenership.
[00:00:31] Speaker B: It's nice to have you with us here this morning because there are a number of things I think probably need to be explained to the nation when it comes to the role and mandate of the National Parent Teachers association. Let's begin by.
Let me allow you to familiarize your listener with yourself. Tell us a bit about yourself and some of the things that you're involved in.
[00:00:57] Speaker A: Great. With my name, as of course you indicated, is Walter Stewart. I'm originally from Tobago, but I am now a domiciled in Trinidad, living and working in Trinidad. I'm an insurance executive by profession. I'm married with two daughters.
We have five grandchildren. I've been involved in the parent teacher association for close to 30 years now, ever since my daughters commenced, well, Montezori in those days, Montezori school, I've been involved in the parent teacher Association. I have been a unit PTA member, unit PTA executive member, I've been a regional executive member and of course now I'm the national PTA president. And I use those three layers because those are the three main layers or the three main platforms on which the Finland Tobago National Council of Parent Teacher association incorporated is built. The unit level, regional level. And the region speaks about eight educational districts or regions for Trinidad and Tobago. And of course the national executive, which of course is the overarching governing body of all PTA's throughout Trinidad and Tobago, established since 1960.
So this year we are celebrating our 64th year or 64th anniversary. And of course the only parenting organizations for Trinidad and Tobago legally binded by an act of Parliament 18 of 1976. So that's the synopsis really, upon which we can start.
[00:02:26] Speaker B: What is the mandate of the National Parent Teachers association?
And I guess by extension, PTA is across the country.
[00:02:36] Speaker A: Good. Well, that can be encapsulated in the motto of the PTa, which states clearly, home and school united for the good of the child. In other words, there needs to be that synergy, that training and that partnership between the home, parental and of course the school, the principal, the administration, the teachers, so that cohesively we can be able to achieve the ultimate goal because our wish as parents, of course, like that of the teachers and the principal is to ensure that all our students reach their full potential. And of course, if we put our collective heads together, that is going to be achieved. I want to also just mention to you one of the aims and objects as listed in our constitution and of course based upon the act of Parliament and that is to promote the welfare of children and young persons at home, school, place of worship and in the community. So the raise our death is really broad and widening. But of course it zeros in on that cohesive relationship between the home and the school for the benefit, interest, concern and welfare of all charges. The children of the nation of Trinidad and Tobago.
[00:03:51] Speaker B: Do you think PTA's across the country are living up to their mandate?
[00:03:55] Speaker A: Well, let me say that that would be the ideal situation. But like many other institutions, whilst we have and goals and achievements and objectives, we are somewhat hamstrung based upon circumstances. In order to be able to achieve those goals and ideals, we have now started a crusade, and I really mean a crusade to be able to get into our regions, our educational districts and our units in order to ensure that we speak the same language, we read out of the same book with regards to achieving those particular mandates. So here, killian tasks will take us a while. But trust me, when I get back to you, probably let's say a year from today, I can assertively answer that question. Yes, we are committed to achieving that particular mandate.
[00:04:42] Speaker B: What do you think has contributed to the decline in participation? Because let's not beat around the Bush PTA attendance and engagement and all those kinds of things. It's not necessarily where you would want it to be. In some institutions it's terrible, in others you do have good participation, higher than others and everything else. But generally there is not the kind of attendance to PTA meetings and even the respect for PTA's that probably people should have.
Why do you think if the NPTA has been looking at the trends over the years, I'm sure that you would be looking at these things.
What has been the experience when it comes to parents and PTA's and there being that kind of engagement?
[00:05:36] Speaker A: I'm not sure if you're aware, Mister Mahabia, but over the past four or five years or so, we've had some unfortunate circumstances taking place in our organization which also involved legal issues as well. At one point in time, the organization was being run by an interim committee so that I would want to use the corollary that would have dropped the ball based upon the circumstances that we would have been experiencing suffice it to say that since November 11, 2023, when I came into office with my enthusiastic executive, 2023, we have been intimately looking at what our core values are, our core purposes are, and how we can now take up that same ball and be able to run with it in order to achieve exactly what you are speaking there about and be able to excite, again our membership or units or regions and get the ball running again.
As I said before, it's not going to be an easy task at all. But of course, we are determined, we are committed in order to achieving that particular goal.
[00:06:51] Speaker B: Yeah, I understand the challenges that confront you because for whatever reason, I mean, I've been part privy to PTA's and I know plenty of people who are as well, and all those kinds of things. And for whatever reason, far too many parents couldn't care less about the PTA, or they don't see the value in being a part of the PTA until something goes wrong and they're looking for help somehow or the other, and that kind of thing. And it speaks to, it speaks to a wider problem that we have with persons wanting to associate themselves with various groups. And then you have all kind of political, in house, political fighting that going on, that turn people off. And people hear stories more than anything else. But what is a, what is a PTA supposed to do?
Let's, if you can itemize some of the things, what is a PTA supposed to do for, I guess for the students and the parents and the school?
[00:07:54] Speaker A: Well, one of the things that we are supposed to do really, is look at our parenting skills in particular. I always use the notion that when I became a parent, and I'm being personal here now, nobody schooled me as to how to be a parent. When I bought my new car, I got a manual to go along with it. I bought my new laptop, I bought my new refrigerator and manual, came along with it. So that the parenting skills and best practice, of course, needs to be something that needs to be discussed, looked at, so that parents, even whilst the child is in the womb, through, of course, and of course, we already promoted this through the antenatal, um, the antenatal care, visiting the health centers, for example, if at all, we are able to get into the minds and the hearts of parents, even from that tender age of conception, and to be able to coach, guide, mentor, school, tutor or parents in how to be a good parent. Taking this as well, from the antenatal into the postnatal, into infancy, into you getting into your first year for example, when the student gets into first year all the way up as well, we are able to coach and guide our parents with regards to parenting skills because, trust me, some of the issues that are taking place in our society even today are as result of bad parenting. But if we are able to nip it in the bud, set the foundation, set the pillars, set the chassis from that early tender age, we might be able to mitigate some of the circumstances and issues that we ourselves as parents are facing with our children on a daily basis. So that's just one of the aspect, of course, parenting skills, abilities and styles.
[00:09:46] Speaker B: Well, I offer that. I think some of our listeners will be hearing this for the first time and hearing what PTA is supposed to be doing and this. And because they're the, there are many people with many impressions of what a PTA is supposed to do.
I myself, being involved as a parent, I'm not impressed.
And I'm speaking as a parent, not as a host or anything else. I'm not necessarily impressed with the PTA's that I've been exposed to. I don't know if it's because there is not the type of leadership at PTA's or, or whatever the problem is. I just don't think they make much of a difference as, and I'm being, I'm being totally honest with you because there are people who may feel the same way. I really don't think PTA's make much impact.
They forever reason funds for something. There is always a fundraiser. And, and you have to ask yourself, well, this, these funds that are raised, what are doing with it?
Um, and that's a real question. And the question becomes even more pronounced when you have registration. And having you here this morning is to probably deal with this and some other things as well. We have a situation where whenever there is registration, you have, PTA's putting forward that there is a fee that people have to pay to join the PTA. I mean, I've seen some things on social media with the fee for joining the PTA being as high as $700.
Now, there are some immediate questions there.
What gives a PTA the legal jurisdiction to demand money from any parent for registering?
[00:11:34] Speaker A: Okay, well, let me ask you a question, because, I mean, you did cite dollar 700 for the PTA funds and use. Am I correct to understand you that way? Because the recent issue with regards to, and this is not recent really, but this year, of course, it raised its head again concerning registration fees, which is a school related arrangement. The PTA's as far as I'm aware, would also raise their dues. We call them dues so that we would really apply what is called in an annual due when the parent comes to register, and it's nowhere in the tune of $700. So I really wanted to ask if it was a mix up in the understanding of the PTA dues, which is a nominal figure because it's an annual figure. I mean, as low as $10 per month for the calendar year, or whether or not you are talking about registration fees, which of course is what would have raised its head at the end of the last term.
[00:12:34] Speaker B: Let's say I got it wrong and the information in the public domain is wrong, but with the figure of dollar 700, let's put it aside that I was wrong.
[00:12:44] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:12:45] Speaker B: That the figure of 700 is wrong. But you must admit that whatever the figure is, there are PTA's that charge this fee. And my question is, regardless of if it's $5, what gives a PTA the legal jurisdiction to demand money from a parent upon registration?
[00:13:06] Speaker A: Good. And of course, it is not a demand. Of course, we don't make it mandatory, but we ask our parents, in order to be able to efficiently run your PTA, to be able to invite some of the same speakers and tutors I mentioned about parenting program and just of course, to run the organization. We are asking the parents when they come into our schools for registration, that you give us dollar 120 minimum for the calendar year. So it's really by and large, as I indicated to you, it's dollar ten per year. You can give us that dollar ten a year. Of course it is. Now the PTA's raised on debt to be able to utilize those funds in order to expand and to assist the same school to which your charge is going to. So that if this school does need a fan, for example, as we are called upon from time to time, and you of course, indicated as well that there are times when of course, the PTA's have been involved in fundraisers. So of course, those same views that we ask and the word is asked or request of our parents would go back into the educational system and the educational life of this tool to assess this to the students of that particular school.
[00:14:12] Speaker B: Okay, I understand your wording of. It's a request of whatever the amount may be, $120, $150, or whatever the amount is. But that's not the way it's presented to parents.
It is presented to parents as if you have to pay this fee. So I'm asking you now, as the president of the associate. If you're saying that it's a request to make this payment, can I tell the PTA, well, I respectfully decline your request and I don't feel I need to pay all this money upon registering my child. Can I do that? Can a parent do that?
[00:14:52] Speaker A: Of course, nothing binds the parent towards utilize or not or saying to us, well, no, I'm not interested, I'm not going to pay the monies. It is nothing. A mandatory due. It is not a mandatory fee.
[00:15:07] Speaker B: Okay, I'm glad that we cleared that up because, yeah, I'm sure if you open the phone lines and we tell callers, give us a, give us a call and tell us what your experience has been. You will hear people saying exactly what I said to you, that they were made to pay this money and everything else.
Is there a monitoring role and accountability role that PTA's need to fulfill to the NPTA? Because we've heard some horror stories about people that go to court and it have money sitting in our bank account and ain't too sure who using it for what and all of that kind of thing. What's the process, if there is one, for the accountability of these various PTA's across the country, we have a couple hundred schools, so you would expect that you have a couple hundred PTA's. Each school will have their PTA. What is the process for accountability?
[00:16:02] Speaker A: Okay, well, the unit PTA's are run by the particular schools or unit, that's the unit level. And of course the units are accountable now to the region. The regions of course convene meetings on a monthly basis. Let's just say the unit will send their representatives to the regional meetings once per month. And they account and of course they give reports. The particular regions. The regions in turn would now report to the national PTA executive. And of course we meet once every other month at general council. And the report coming out of the region, which of course is a subset of what comes out of the units, are reported to the particular general council meeting, which of course is the second highest decision making body of the organization. So along the way there is accountability, visa vis funds, accountability visa vis activities of the unit level of the region level. And of course ultimately all these come to the general council when they meet once every other month. So there is that level of accountability. There is that level of transparency at all levels toward the PTA with regards to the horror stories. And of course we have good horror stories as well, where monies are tied up in bank accounts, for example, we are trying to see how best we can now speak with our bankers to see if because of some circumstances, mitigating circumstances, the PTA particular unit cannot get access to it. How, of course, we cannot be able to access those funds through some bank arrangement with the bankers that we are involved in as well, so that somebody doesn't think that they can, if they have an issue with a particular PTA unit, just not sign the withdrawal or just run away or nothing be found. No duck answering their phones. And of course, we are now almost holding our arms, can't do anything because of access to the bank account. But of course, let me stress again that there's supposed to be accountability and transparency at the unit level, regional level, right up until the national level as well.
[00:18:01] Speaker B: Let's talk about some of the positives that have come out of PTA's and their involvement in their activities in their school and everything else. Tell us about some of the things that the PTA movement have that they've been able to achieve in their existence. And you don't need to identify the school if you don't want to. If you want to, go right ahead.
[00:18:21] Speaker A: Okay, sorry. No problem. Well, let me just use an overarching statement as well and to tell you that students usually do better in schools in which there's an active parent teacher association organization. I take it back to one school in particular where during the COVID period, in particular, the toilets, the bathrooms, the washrooms were in a deplorable condition. And that school, even during the COVID pandemic period, was able to raise over $200,000 and was able to restore, enhance the bathroom facilities that it is now mint condition at that particular school. That is just one whose have been able. Oh, sorry. Our pts have been able to assist our students, for example, in acquiring PE uniforms. In other words, they would have raise funds, do their barbecues, do their ice cream sales, et cetera, and be able to outfit the schools with PE uniforms. So, Ben, that we have been able to be able to raise our funds and assist the schools in meaningful projects that this school has from time to time.
[00:19:28] Speaker B: Definitely you would want.
You would want these organizations to work, because organizations like these that work can only auger better for the institution and for the students and for the parents and everything else. Let's. Let's. It's 15 minutes before eight. Let's open our phone lines. 625-2257 for those of you who'd like to get involved in the conversation, we are speaking this morning, we have a special guest and we're discussing the issue of parent teachers associations and how they can assist us in doing all the things that we need to do. Our special guest is president of the TNT National Council of Parentagers Association, Walter Stewart. So if you'd like to get involved in the conversation, please give us a call. We have a couple messages sent in, one saying that it's a demand and they're talking about the fees. Let's take this call here. Hello, good morning.
[00:20:27] Speaker A: Hello.
[00:20:27] Speaker B: Good morning.
[00:20:28] Speaker C: Good morning.
[00:20:31] Speaker A: Good morning.
[00:20:31] Speaker B: Yes, good morning to you.
[00:20:32] Speaker A: Hello.
[00:20:33] Speaker C: Good morning.
[00:20:33] Speaker B: Yes, good morning. You're on the air, right?
[00:20:36] Speaker C: So, am I live on here?
[00:20:38] Speaker B: Yes, you are live on the air.
[00:20:40] Speaker C: Okay, so I am, I am one of the parents who recently registered my child.
And I have a question for the gentleman. Is that seeing that he is now saying that it was made to look like it was mandatory to pay the, for the PPA, can I now request a refund of that money if I should, if I so not desire to be a part of the PTA?
[00:21:05] Speaker A: And again, let me ask the parent, um, if at all this you're referring to the registration visa or the PTA dues.
[00:21:13] Speaker C: PTA dues.
[00:21:15] Speaker D: Right.
[00:21:16] Speaker A: And I'm saying that this is not a mandatory fee. We would like all parents to buy in to the need to be able to subscribe to the ids of the organization, hence the reason why we have requested the dues. But if at all, you are not amenable or you do not wish to be able to contribute towards the fees or the dues, I'm not sure which school you are associated with. I'm not sure if this school is affiliated with the national councillor, peer and Teacher association. So I cannot really say if there's going to be a refund. But there's no mandatory, um, issue with regards to you paying your dues to the PTA that you are associated with.
[00:21:55] Speaker C: All right, thank you very much.
[00:21:56] Speaker B: Thank you so much for your call. 625-2257 as I said, you know, we had a discussion about this some time ago and callers raised it.
The registration fee is one thing and the PTA fee is another. And as you heard for yourself, there are people who, they ain't too sure what going on. It was made, as the caller said, made to appear as though it was mandatory. Let's take another call. Hello. Good morning.
[00:22:19] Speaker E: Yeah, good morning. Satish. Good morning to your guest.
The education minister makes what I refer to as the annual clarion call where she states definitively that no school has the authority to charge parents income in any form of registration fee.
Based on what you been saying for the past few minutes, I'm asking the question, is the minister confused?
[00:22:46] Speaker B: Okay, I think you're mixing up the two things because as our guest clearly identified, there's a registration that the schools would be involved in and he wouldn't be able to speak to that. We're talking about the NPTA and Parent Teachers association and the PTA asking you to pay a specific fee. They're two totally different things.
Am I correct, Mister Stuart, in saying that?
[00:23:10] Speaker A: Let me just say again for the records that we did look at the circular issued by the ministry since the year 2001, and that circular in particular spoke specific to accessories. It was reported as that over the years there might have been some evolving of the name, and of course schools have now attached what is called a registration fee. Of course that's separate and apart. And of course the ministry did issue a further memorandum at the end of the last term saying that no schools are supposed to be taking registration fees. Of course the pros and cons of doing that, but even in the penultimate paragraph of that same document, the ministry did say that PTA's or parents free to be able to request funding from the parents at some point in time. Not necessarily at registration, but of course at some point in time during the school life of the child.
So as. So again, I'm saying that there's registration fee as for the school, and there's also.
There's also the fact that we do have dues as well. And of course the dues give us as well the PTA membership as well, the right to vote. Like any organization. There are football clubs, for example, there are political organizations as well. And of course one of the enshrined rights, of course, in you being a member is of course paying your annual dues.
[00:24:42] Speaker B: Second of the call. Hello? Good morning.
[00:24:44] Speaker D: Morning. I'm calling from doorbest.
I'm a retailer.
I think it's undue pressure on a parent who is registering a child in a school for which the child may have taken additional lessons and all of the course that go with that traveling and whatnot. All kind of logistics involved there.
And now they're registering their child and somebody is collecting money for the PTA. It's a kind of pressure that you should not exude with on any parent. They might feel intimidated because here is my child in this big, prestigious school now, and I have to fork out this money for all of these things that they are asking, including PTA. I think if the PTA collect their money at the PTA meetings you will get a more genuine contribution. People who want to contribute and people who want to come and people who want to be a part of all that will feel a little more relaxed about it as opposed to putting that pressure, that just the occasion is enough pressure to force some parents to fork all that money when they really don't want to. I want your comment on that. Thank you.
[00:25:58] Speaker B: Thank you so much.
[00:25:59] Speaker A: Yeah, and I really want to thank you as well for that because I did mention as well when I was making my pronouncement that of course it is $120 as an annual due, but of course parents are free to pay $10 monthly, of course, which of course, as the caller is suggesting, can be paid at some later stage besides at the point of registration of the particular student.
[00:26:19] Speaker B: Let's take another call. Hello?
[00:26:20] Speaker F: Good morning Mister Walters. More or less.
I have a comment to make. I just called to support you and well, you know, I mean, I mean I'm part of the organization so let's call the support here and I'll send you a question. Yes, have a blessed man.
[00:26:36] Speaker D: Take care.
[00:26:36] Speaker F: Bye.
[00:26:36] Speaker A: My support and thank you Mister Morales, thank you so much.
[00:26:40] Speaker B: Thank you so much for your call. A couple minutes again on our interview, let's tell people why they should get more involved in a PTA.
[00:26:54] Speaker A: Sorry.
[00:26:55] Speaker B: Hello? Hello? Yes, I'm asking for Yazoo or the wrap up. Our interview here. Tell our listeners why they should become more involved in a PTA.
[00:27:08] Speaker A: Good. The PTA helps to amplify your voice and give you a voice to change policies that impacts the school, the unit, and of course even the nation as well. So we get that collective voice as an organization to be able to impact international development as well. And I mentioned before as well, children do far better in any school that there is an active parent teacher association. Children of course do better. This is a phenomenal issue, not only locally, regionally, but also internationally. It helps to improve communication as well being a member of the PTA because we are able to collectively issue newsletters, flyers, digital media information as well that I would have mentioned before, even to your own parenting, for example. Issues that are taking place in education. We are now entering what is considered to be cultural transformation. Through our PTA's we can be better informed of what is taking place in the education system. There's a slightly different curriculum taking place with our standard five students who are now entering standard five in September.
These PTA's as well are helping our parents to be able to grapple with those issues and understand the fundamentals of what is taking place even in our curriculum, so that when we gather in our meetings once a month, twice a month, as the case might be, those are some of the issues that we're able to discuss at our PTA meetings. We are able to harness volunteerism. Of course, there's always need to be able to volunteer as parents and we are supposed to be all dedicated. If you encourage volunteerism in our schools and your charges, know that you are always on the school compound, you're always willing to assist your teachers, your teachers know your phone number personally, and of course you are interacting with the teacher from time to time. Trust me, that child is going to be able to understand the need to be at a top peak behavior and attitude during the school. Lastly, it boosts children's well being because PTA focuses on what children need of the importance of success of each child. This also includes issues like nutrition, health, physical fitness, and general well being of the child. Those are some of the issues that we are able to assist in in our schools as PTA's.
[00:29:31] Speaker B: There's probably a final question and somebody sent a message here asking how can someone check whether or not a PTA is associated with the NPTA? Is there a list? How do you go about verifying something like that?
[00:29:49] Speaker A: Great. Good question.
We have our regional organizations as well who operate in the eight educational districts or regions for Trinidad and Tobago. Now, of course they are the ones that we look to get the list of the affiliated schools. Of course we also have a macro list of all the schools for Trinidad and Tobago. And of course at the national level we can also check to ensure if there particular school is affiliated with the National Council of Parent Teacher association. It is our wish as well. Let me just say as we close that by the end of our tenure, 2025, 80% of all our schools throughout Trinidad and Tobago are affiliated with the National Council of Parent Teacher association. More than that, but of course even some of the issues that you mentioned as well, the objectives of the PTA are well established, are well enshrined in the organization as well, and that they are following the dictates and precepts principles of national counselor, peer and teacher association.
[00:30:52] Speaker B: And if someone wants to get in touch with you for more information or. Yeah, go ahead.
[00:30:58] Speaker A: Sure. I want to give you my personal contact, sir. Besides our NPTA email address nptatntmail.com. again nptatntmail.com. my personal number 682 6832. Again 682-6832 there's a registration fee as well for affiliated schools who are coming on board.
That is an annual cost of $500. That is for the unit I'm speaking about here now, the unit. If you are wanting to be affiliated and be an affiliate with the National Council of Peer and Teacher association, the annual fee is 500. But feel free, Mister Mahabia, through you and of course the station, please feel free, parents and members of the listening public to contact us through those medium. We also on Facebook, we're also on TikTok. You can hit us up right there as well.
[00:31:56] Speaker B: Yeah. Mister, I want to thank you for being with us here this morning. Was a really interesting interview, giving an insight into something that we all hear about, but we probably don't necessarily know as much as we need to about nazi parent teacher association. Thank you once again for being with us here this morning. It was my pleasure having you.
[00:32:10] Speaker A: One closing remark. I mean, everything cannot be said, of course, in 30 minutes. So I want to use the opportunity as well to ask you as well to be able to have us back on as well, you know, on your station. We'd be more than happy to bring in some of the other officers as well, to be able to preach the gospel of the parent teacher association movement. Thank you. Have a good day, sir.
[00:32:29] Speaker B: Yeah. And that will be replications on our interview. Definitely. We'll have you back the best insight.
[00:32:35] Speaker A: Instant feedback, accountability, the all new talk radio Freedom 106.5.
