NPTA 2026 WISH LIST

[00:00:01] Speaker A: The best insight, instant feedback, accountability. The all new Talk Radio Freedom 106.5. Good morning to Walter Stewart. He's out there in St. Kitts and Nevis having himself a time. He's on a sabbatical. But the president of the National Peer Teachers association is on with me this morning. Walter, good morning if you're hearing me. [00:00:21] Speaker B: Good morning and good morning to your viewership. Good morning to your listenership, sir. [00:00:24] Speaker A: Know that as YouTube that is streaming online. [00:00:28] Speaker B: Great, great, great. Appreciate. Good morning to you all. Happy, happy New Year's Eve. [00:00:33] Speaker A: It would be remiss of me if I didn't, you know, let you come in this morning briefly. And I know you're on your little Vicky and I don't want to disrupt it too much, but you had to come in, you're part of the family now. You had to come in and, you know, talk about asking you the same question. I don't want to go too heavy into the political interface of the npta. We talked about it. And I want to save something for the, for next week installation. So your, your, your, your goodbyes to 2020, the 2025 sorry and your thank yous in 2025. What would that look like and sound like? Walter? [00:01:07] Speaker B: And if you are keeping it strictly education, as I'm hoping that we are, I would say thank you for the laptops for our first form students. Listen, we are going it globally and we cannot be left behind. So I'm very happy that 18,000 of a Form 1 students are now equipped with their AI sensitive laptops. And I'm hoping, my wish is that all forms one to Forms five, even our CAPE students, would be equipped over time with a laptop. My moment, of course, is the continuing escalation of criminal violence and crime and indiscipline taking place in our schools. We really have to put that in the last term, in the last semester, this first term of the academic year, 25, 26, we have the introduction of SOPO, School Oriented Police Units. There has been some reduction, but of course we want to see more reduction in discipline and the balance taking place amongst our students in our schools. [00:02:07] Speaker A: All right, so that's great news. You know, your wish list, your wish list, another Christmas, a new year wish list that the NPTA has. It'd have to be a long one, but just some things, you know, in summary, we did discuss it at length last week and week before. But in summary, you know, gentle reminder, what is the NPTA's wish list? [00:02:30] Speaker B: Right, thank you very much again. Good morning. To you and your audience, listen. The first one of course is the number of acting positions in our schools. I spoke about this in my remarks at our celebration recently at Cascadia and I want to reemphasize again via your station that there are too many acting positions in our schools, too many acting principals, too many acting vice principals, too many acting deans and it's about time that the TSC Teaching Service Commission go full speed ahead and do what is necessary to appoint principals, appoint vice principals, appoint deans. That's 1, 2. Teacher shortage in our schools Davy and audience, I get a number of complaints of teacher shortages in our primary schools, in our secondary schools and this is my second wish list for 2026 that all, all vacancies would be filled in the year 2026. Thirdly, there are what is considered to be priority schools. These are schools which are one not maximizing their full potential with regards to the results at the end of SCA or the end of Csecond Cape and two that there has been a rise or an escalation in discipline in those schools. So they are considered to be priority schools. Of 450 other primary schools, 189 primary schools are considered 1 on the priority list of 125 secondary schools. 56 secondary schools are on this priority list. And we need as an organization, NPTA to do all that is possible in order to ensure that these schools are well tooled and well resourced in order to get out of this priority list system and of course that they'll be up and running. The outcomes, the expectations, the achievements of the schools who would be improving and of course the indiscipline of course would be reduced to a minimal, that's 4, 5. Delivery of the curriculum. Listen, the curriculum is active and the curriculum must apply to the students in wherever catchment area they are located. We do not teach the curriculum in effect, but of course we teach our students. So the curriculum must come alive for our students and they must understand the importance of the curriculum and being able to adjust to the curriculum accordingly. In addition to that the parents as well should have a hands on approach to the curriculum and they will be able to understand the curriculum and be able to ensure that the curriculum is adequately being covered in order to prepare these charges for examinations. And lastly that we have active affiliated parent teacher association units in all our schools. There should be no reason why an organization governed by an act of Parliament 18 of 76 should not have, especially not public primary and secondary schools and affiliated, not the word an Affiliated Parent Teacher association unit in those schools. That's my wish list. [00:05:53] Speaker A: Does the private sector schools have a PTA that you're aware of? Are they part of your wider body? [00:05:59] Speaker B: If so, very good question. And. And they should be. They should be because every learning institution should carry a parent Teacher association unit. And they have reached out to me, to be honest with you. The president of the private school association did reach out to me. So we are actively, robustly following up with them in 2026, early first quarter, 2026, to ensure that all their schools could come on board. And I'm told that there was 64 private schools in Philadelphia and Tobago, and we want to ensure that all these schools are actively involved in national Parent Teacher Association. [00:06:34] Speaker A: Hello, good morning. Hello, hello, good morning. Person was trying to get us. I don't know. Hello, hello, good morning. All right, yeah, so, I mean, that's good news because I know there's 64, as you mentioned. Let me see. Hello, good morning. Good morning. Good morning. [00:06:53] Speaker C: Hello. [00:06:53] Speaker A: Yes, good morning. [00:06:54] Speaker D: Morning, Davy. [00:06:55] Speaker A: Good morning. [00:06:56] Speaker D: And good morning, Trinidad and Tobago. This is a caller from Pinal Devi. I call to congratulate you on the good job you are doing. And 106.5 Freedom Radio and all the announcers. I wish you all happy New Year and all the best with good health, strength, happiness and a long life ahead. David, doing such a wonderful job. Lovely voice. You talk to people so sweet and so nice and. And all the best in the New year, Davey. And hello, Trinidad and Tobago, and all the best. Happy New Year. Come in and thank you so much. [00:07:35] Speaker A: I am grateful. Thank you very much for sending your greetings this morning. Hello, good morning. Yes, good morning. [00:07:41] Speaker B: Good morning to you and your guests there. [00:07:43] Speaker C: It is so important for callers and listeners to differentiate between a fact and an opinion. A fact is certain and definite. [00:07:54] Speaker E: Right. [00:07:54] Speaker C: An opinion is flimsy and guesstimate and all kind of things. But you have social media. I'm sorry for those people, all right, who cannot differentiate attack from an opinion. All right, so very careful, Davis, for you too, to establish that the difference. [00:08:13] Speaker B: Between us and our opinion. [00:08:15] Speaker C: Thank you. [00:08:16] Speaker A: All right, to my WhatsApp caller. Good morning. Morning, Davey. Good morning. [00:08:21] Speaker F: First to begin, I gotta say thanks for being you and thanks to your station for bringing all those beautiful information and stuff. I like to say that I like what Kamala Passad is doing because she's conducting a psychological operation to awaken the people of Trinidad Tobago to what's coming. The new year is not going to be a walk in the Park. And she understands that the mental apparatus that she wants to engender to the people is what is needed. And thanks to her and her party and thanks to you Davey. And thanks to Trinidad and Tobago. [00:08:58] Speaker B: Stay up. [00:08:59] Speaker A: All right. All right. Thank you so much for your call. Even though it was outside of the conventional way. Hello. Good morning. [00:09:09] Speaker E: Hello. [00:09:10] Speaker A: Good morning. [00:09:11] Speaker E: Yeah, morning. How are you? [00:09:13] Speaker A: I'm good. What's up? [00:09:15] Speaker E: Well, season greetings to you. I, I, I just. This is one of the harvest trying to get you. [00:09:24] Speaker C: You see. [00:09:25] Speaker E: You see today and some days you should give you regular colors a little rest and let the other colors give them an opportunity to call. I see guy that's telling the thing about the TT post issue. Did you check it out for me? [00:09:41] Speaker A: I did, I did and when I did my brethren promised to get back to me on it. Now that I have you on the line you could do me a favor. Ah send me information. Let me forward it to just double check with him now. [00:10:02] Speaker B: All right. [00:10:03] Speaker A: Do it nowhere. Do it now. [00:10:06] Speaker E: I did that several times for you and I mean you keep. [00:10:10] Speaker A: Wait, wait. What is it? Is it four? Is it not is it number 47474? [00:10:15] Speaker G: No. [00:10:16] Speaker A: All right, well give me a number now. [00:10:17] Speaker E: My number is 303-2541. [00:10:24] Speaker A: All right. Look out for a call after I finish this show. [00:10:26] Speaker E: All right, thank you. I want to ask. No, no, no, don't go yet. I ain't finished with you yet. You know the people have been making, some people have been against the new traffic sign. But David, one of the problem with any law that is made in this country is many a time the officers to enforce the law does not take place. [00:10:52] Speaker H: Right. [00:10:53] Speaker E: Look how quick they're going to charge people for traffic. [00:10:58] Speaker B: Fine. [00:10:59] Speaker E: And there are so many other issues in this country, legal issues that do happen. They don't work on it. Davy. Hello. [00:11:12] Speaker A: I'm hearing you right? [00:11:14] Speaker E: One of the things I also want to highlight this morning there's a police officer that's been drinking and driving through the streets at Grundy with a very high speed. Right. And I up to now I can't understand why that can't stop. And there's also another police officer there's been stopping traffic is a one way street. There's been stopping traffic and blocking the traffic back up at traffic. Sometimes they're talking to their friends, sometimes I don't know what they just be talking so but you can be blocking the traffic like that officer. And thirdly a police officer telling people to park in front of a New package sign. [00:12:18] Speaker H: There. [00:12:18] Speaker E: We have madness going on in this country. [00:12:21] Speaker B: Huh? [00:12:23] Speaker E: You hear me? [00:12:24] Speaker A: Yeah, hearing you, buddy. I'm hearing you right. [00:12:26] Speaker E: And there's three streets are blocked off in Granny. There's a traffic problem in this country and somebody block up streets and causing more traffic problem in Sangre Grande. [00:12:38] Speaker A: All right, all right. I don't want you to go. [00:12:40] Speaker E: Who has done that? [00:12:40] Speaker A: All right. I don't. We go off topic a little bit. Thanks very much for sharing your thoughts this morning. Hello, good morning. [00:12:46] Speaker G: Hey, morning to the NPA president. Yes, good morning. All the accolades that everybody sent to you. Yeah, I. I want to double up on that. [00:12:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:12:57] Speaker G: This mpk. I'm the one who. I really do hope moving forward that they keep track of the learning ability of children with the laptops, without the laptops to see if it has improved in the learning in our individual ability to learn rather than that it's supposed to be used as a tool to learn. So I do hope that you're coming some statistics that if you will interview in the future and you would say there is an improvement in the learning ability where there was the high incidence of, you know, passes and success rates in education and the schools that probably need to improve on their success rate also too there's a people of mine where we speak across to one another about the children. But there was a scenario where a girl did a. It wasn't acca. She did an ACCA examination and she didn't see one one day in the class. She came the highest in the world. She got the highest marks in the world and she said I didn't see one day in the class. She paid for the exam and she stayed. She stayed home and study. She bought the books and she educated and she educated herself and she got the highest marks in the world. I think it. It may be new sideline. To what degree in terms of children who lack parenting, good parenting, people who don't come from good homes and stuff like that. Should the NPTA play a role in telling the children that they have the ability to self learn and self taught go through textbooks if a mommy not wrong, stuff like that. Is there anything to head in that direction to improve the self learning of a student? Because children are very bright. However, I don't think we just focus on their ability to. If a teacher absent, they could still go through the books and stuff like that rather than blame these teachers at school for you not educating yourself. That's one of the peeve of minds I have and I always bring it up with other educational people who speak on these issues and I'm wondering if there's anything that you head in that direction to bring all the self learning abilities of children in school. [00:15:08] Speaker A: All right, cool. Mine went deep. Deeply. [00:15:09] Speaker E: Thank you so much. [00:15:10] Speaker B: Yeah, that's a very good point that he made, he raised. But let me just talk about the first issue first which of course is the competency of our students with or without the laptops. And of course not only about that but we want to be able to track our students, Davy and listeners and with regards to how they are progressing from the time they enter first year the primary school up until they complete the secondary CSEC and the CAPE examinations. So to be able to monitor and track them so that let's say the high performing students at the sca, are they consistent or is this just an aberration? Are they consistent in their Progress in forms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5? We have to have a tracking mechanism in place and of course we are seeking to arrange such a mechanism to be able to track our students progress year on year and of course at the end of the academic term in the secondary school. And of course that will also apply for the laptops being introduced in our first forms as well. With regards to self motivated students, we are really pushing that students are supposed to be self motivated, self inspired and being able to work even on their own at times as well to be able to achieve and to be able to reap the rewards of such self motivation. And of course there would be programs that we'd be looking at kola with regards to complimenting such students when they are so self motivated, so self inspired that they would be able to pass that on and be able to encourage other students to be likewise. [00:16:41] Speaker A: I want to thank you so much as we say thank you for always being a part. I want to Happy New Year to you happen here. All right. I've adjusted. Okay. Not sure how you're looking at it but okay. You know I was thinking out and if, if it's one thing that you have to tell 2025 goodbye for, what is that one thing? Or, or thank you for, you know you want to say to 2025 thank you for this and you will also tell 2025 goodbye because of this. What, what would that be? What would it. What would be the goodbyes on and the thank yous of 2026. 2025 sorry before you 1. It ought to be long and winded just goodbye for this and thank or thank you for this. Which. What. What would it be Hello. Good morning. Hello. [00:17:44] Speaker B: Morning, Davey. [00:17:45] Speaker C: Good morning to you, my friend. Is the one where they call Mr. Kirup. [00:17:49] Speaker A: Yeah. Mr. Kirib. [00:17:51] Speaker C: Yeah. I'm not a fan of Donald Trump in any way or form or fashion, but I can be thankful for some of the intervention that he's brought about and some of the knock on effects from that intervention. It is not understatement to say that Trinidad in some small way has benefited. Incalculable is a word I would assign to it simply because less people have died this year. I'm not 100% sure what the murder rate is, but less people have died this year than last year, certainly. And every less person in comparison to the record figures that we were experiencing is a life saved. And that to me is something to be grateful for. So even the worst person in the world DAV at some point in time get something right. So I'm grateful for that intervention and hopefully Trinidad will continue to benefit. I don't know if less persons will die next year than this year. We continue in a state of emergency. Our motivator, our crime statistics is in itself an emergency. So I'm not, I'm not 100% in favor of the effects of our state emergency, but I can understand why somebody would want to continue with it. But I'm grateful. That's what I'm grateful for. Devi, you ever taken part in wars by who? Parking. Was there a show on tv? [00:19:20] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I haven't looked at it in a minute. [00:19:22] Speaker C: But I mean if you look at that show and you will see where the line is drawn, where the systems are implemented. Yeah. With regard to putting this, this cap on your wheel. A van that drives out. Yeah. The boot. There's a van that drives around. [00:19:38] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:19:38] Speaker C: And with two persons and deal with your matter and they get a signal, Davy. When they're passing a car that. That have outstanding tickets. Get a signal inside the car. Look, we pass one. [00:19:51] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:19:51] Speaker C: And they just reverse. [00:19:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:19:53] Speaker C: Go back by the man and they have a number. They just call for records. The wrecker comes and picks up the car. [00:20:00] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:20:00] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:20:01] Speaker A: Parking was. [00:20:01] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:20:02] Speaker C: You could see a system working out there. There'd be white licensing. Can't open any night for what by it have a reason why license can open any night. [00:20:10] Speaker A: Why the devil must make things easier. Why the devil must make things easier. Why? Why the devil must make things easier for you. [00:20:20] Speaker E: Right. [00:20:20] Speaker C: If you're not told I wish you a happiness. Yeah. [00:20:27] Speaker A: What is your goodbye for 2025? You know, goodbye because of this 2025 go from here. Do I ever come back or what is your thank you to 2025? You know but in 2025 I want to thank 2025 for this this happened. You know what. What is your thank you and what's your goodbyes if you have any at all. Hello, good morning. [00:20:52] Speaker I: 2025 that I think I. [00:20:55] Speaker F: I don't. [00:20:56] Speaker I: Think I have any incident that I could really have any remorse against us. So I just had to give thanks for the year you are all here our call out listeners and I could tell 2025 a happy goodbye. Last year and year before I had two medical issues with relatives close, very close relatives and 24 and 23 was you know was very challenging in terms of a hospital and two operations and one of my relative actually one of my sons and by 2025 like goal self we could give thanks. [00:21:31] Speaker C: I had to. [00:21:32] Speaker I: I could rerun 2025 so while we move forward you know I wanted. I want to admonish us to be. To be cautious because by the roads the traffic on the road really increase and you know the speeds or what they could have done before the chances I definitely can't do it again and because I know sometimes most of these road things are unavoidable but as I said earlier condolences to the family the eight year old boy it can't be too cautious. You know satisfies always say but morning time is a satish how fragile life is and that is one thing I mean how we could have avoided that one. It has certain accidents already they're unavoidable the avoidable ones that we have control of. Let's try and be cautious to not put ourselves in harm's way. So David, by all the caller listeners. All right blessed one as we as we close this year and give God thanks giving us strength and healthier to to face the challenge of the year ahead. Bye. [00:22:26] Speaker A: All right, bye. All right let me see if I could play this for you real quick for my. You know let's see if I could get ready to listen to this. I don't know let me see if I could get it done. Trying to put it up on the system here and for some reason it is not happening. So let me see what could be done. All right team all you heard self. [00:22:48] Speaker B: As the worst prime minister in the history of this proud nation on his worst day in office. On his worst day in office the. [00:23:04] Speaker A: Honorable. [00:23:06] Speaker B: ANR Robinson would have given this country far better. [00:23:12] Speaker A: Now I don't know if all I saw that video circulating that happened in a press conference. What Dr. Amy Brown was saying is that on the worst day in office he called a list of prime ministers. But what I found was most noteworthy about that message as well. I tried to get the whole audio but again, some problems. The. The. He said on, on, on, on there on. On her worst day in office, Kamala Passad Bisesa in her first stint as prime minister would have given the country better than she's giving today. That part I found was very, very noteworthy. To mention why he has. Dr. Amy Brown has given credit to the bas d', opande, to Patrick Manning, Robinson, even Eric Williams. And he also gave credit to Mrs. Kamala Passad Bisesa's first stint as prime minister. He said on her worst day because he said she is no doubt the worst prime minister today. But he said on her worst day in office, she would have given the country better in her first stint in office than she is doing now. Coming from Dr. Amory Brown, member of the PNM, I thought it was worthy to mention because I felt that he was speaking his mind in a truthful manner. He was literally saying what he feels, what he felt. It could be debilitating state of the economy, you know, and he gave credit to Mrs. Posad Bisessa and I want to commend him for that. I want to commend him for giving her that credit because of how you feel now. You was going through the history of the other prime ministers and you also put her in there and you said, you know, even on her worst day in office then she would have given better than she's giving now. Because you feel you're not getting the best of her right now. And I love the fact that he was able to say that without fear of contradiction and favor, but he was able to say it. I want to say to Dr. Amy Broung this morning, well done. Well done. You see, that is the sort of decorum and depression diplomacy that is missing in the politics today. When you look at dear old patos and silver fox, the late Patrick Manning and Basdiopandi, how they functioned as political luminaries in this country, one has to see you ought to get them the credit them fellas and them was bitter rivals on the political platform. They would pell bhati but in, in, in, you know, they measure. They had a measure of the quorum man, you know, they were, they were the Sando old boys. It was a presentation college. I think memory served me correct. You know, they walked there as past prime ministers. And they were good. You know, they were, they were good. It always right, you know, I can't. You ain't really hearing much, you know. They was good. They were good. They were good. They were good. They were good. I remember Dr. Rowley and I would say this, I was at the Hyatt Regency Hotel covering an event, I think it was something on the energy industries. And Dr. Rowley spoke and at the time when he spoke as Prime Minister, he spoke about Mrs. Kamala Passad Bisesa's stint in office. I think he dated it back to 2013. I think it was at, if memory serves me correct, earlier. I think it was at Nelson Mandela's funeral where she took him and they met and you know, and he recalled the incident in Africa where they, they, they really had a nice engagement and interchange. And if he never, if he didn't divulge that information personally to those in attendance, one could say, well, boy, never see them shake a glass. I don't know if it's the atmosphere and returning home, maybe the compression he plane, I don't know, everything changed. But he did recall that moment and you could, you could see he felt a sense of pride. You know, he sat down there and he recalled that warm interchange between himself and Mrs. Passant Bisessa. Then like I said, if you are to say goodbye to 2025, why are you saying goodbye? And if you have to say thank you to 2025, what is your thank you about? Good morning. [00:27:48] Speaker J: Good morning to all. Devi. I would like to say this morning that there were past ministers, prime ministers who said a lot of things about people and they were not condemned as the worst prime minister. And do you know, I remember he was a good prime minister. He looked out for the people. And that is Prime Minister Basil Pandey, may his soul rest in peace. But I would like to say this. He said teachers were criminals, but did he really mean it? I don't think so. And these are the things that past prime ministers said. And we mustn't condemn one person if they said, you know, like, oh, you know, we have, well, like, I wouldn't say she said she thought that the whole country was lawless people. But you know, she's just trying to bring, you know, people, you know, up to date with what they have done and where they should correct themselves. We are driving is especially is concerned and you know, as you said, you know, if you pay, if you follow the law, you have no fine to pay. Anyway, I wish all the best and you Devi especially you carry a good program. Well balanced. I must say you're an educated person and keep doing the writing. [00:29:06] Speaker A: Thanks a lot and thank you very much for your kind words and for your kind support. If you have to say goodbye to 2025 and say thank you the 2025. What would the goodbyes and thank you be? Hello, good morning. [00:29:21] Speaker H: The best thing for me in 2025 drop any price of fuel at super. [00:29:27] Speaker E: Big big, big, big help bless the. [00:29:28] Speaker A: Prime minister hard for that. Yes. [00:29:29] Speaker H: And the worst thing is just the best thing to the demerit points. [00:29:34] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:29:34] Speaker H: That's before you go through a red drum driving and dangerous driving. [00:29:39] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:29:39] Speaker H: Yeah. The others should be no debate. But only most important thing. But he's trying. She's trying to understand. He is trying but all right. It's all blows any side of ticket but she has to get money to run the country so I can't vex. The thing is I don't know where she gets enough money to pay you 10%. You promise people that now they're getting on they won't need that money. They should have known each other. Empty. Hold it on board. [00:30:02] Speaker A: All right, cool. Let me take before I go forward. Good morning to Walter Steot. He's out there in St. Kitts and Nevis having himself a time. He's on a sabbatical. But the president of the National Pure Teachers association is on with me this morning. Walter, good morning, if you're hearing me. [00:30:18] Speaker B: Good morning and good morning to your viewership. Good morning to your listenership, sir. [00:30:22] Speaker A: No, that is YouTube. That is streaming online. Facebook. [00:30:25] Speaker B: Great, great, great, great. Appreciate Good morning to you all. Happy happy New Year's Eve. [00:30:30] Speaker A: It would be remiss of me if I didn't, you know, let you come in this morning briefly. And I know you're on your little Vicky and I don't want to disrupt it too much, but you had to come in. You're part of the family now. You had to come in and you know, talk about asking you the same question. I don't want to go too heavy into the politicals inter interface of the npta. We talked about it and I want to save something for the. For next week installation. So your, your, your. Your goodbyes to 2026 and your thank to 2025. Sorry. And your thank yous in 2025. What would that be look like and sound like? Walter? [00:31:04] Speaker B: And if you are keeping it strictly education, as I'm hoping that we are, I would say thank you for the laptops to our first form students, listen, we are going I t globally and we cannot be left behind. So I'm very happy that 18, 000 of a Form 1 students are now equipped with their AI sensitive laptops. And I'm hoping, my wish is that all Forms one to Forms five, even our CAPE students, would be equipped over time with a laptop. My moment, of course, is the continuing escalation of criminal violence and crime and indiscipline taking place in our schools. We really have to put that in the last term, in the last semester, this first term of the academic year 2526, we have the introduction of SOPO school oriented police Unit. There has been some reduction, but of course we want to see more reduction in discipline and the balance taking place amongst our students in our schools. [00:32:05] Speaker A: All right, so that's great news. You know, your wish list, your wish list. A Christmas, another Christmas, a New year wish list that the NPTA has. It'd have to be a long one, but just some things, you know, in summary, we just, we did discuss it at length last week and week before. But in summary, you know, gentle reminder, what is the NPTA's wish list? [00:32:27] Speaker I: Right. [00:32:28] Speaker B: Thank you very much again, good morning to you and your audience. Listen, the first one of course is the number of acting positions in our schools. I spoke about this in my remarks at our celebration recently at Cascadia. And I want to re emphasize again via your station that there are too many acting positions in our schools. Too many acting principals, too many acting vice principals, too many acting deans. And it's about time that the TSC Teaching Service Commission go full speed ahead and do what is necessary to appoint principals, appoint vice principals, appoint deans. That's 1, 2. Teacher shortage in our schools. Davy and audience, I get a number of complaints of teacher shortages in our primary schools, in our secondary schools. And this is my second wish list for 2026 that all, all vacancies would be filled in the year 2026. Thirdly, there are what is considered to be priority schools. These are schools which are one, not maximizing their full potential with regards to the results at the end of SCA or the end of C second cape and two, that there has been a rise or an escalation in discipline in those schools. So they are considered to be priority schools. Of 450 odd primary schools, 189 primary schools are considered on the priority list of 125 secondary schools. 56 secondary schools are on this priority list. And we need as an organization, NPTA to do all that is possible in order to ensure that these schools are well tooled and well resourced in order to get out of this priority list system and of course that they'll be up and running. The outcomes, the expectations, the achievements of the school schools would be improving and of course the indiscipline of course would be reduced to a minimal. That's 4, 5. Delivery of the curriculum. Listen, the curriculum is active and the curriculum must apply to the students in wherever catchment area they are located. We do not teach the curriculum in effect, but of course we teach our students. So the curriculum must come alive students and they must understand the importance of the curriculum and being able to adjust to the curriculum accordingly. In addition to that, the parents as well should have a hands on approach to the curriculum and they would be able to understand the curriculum and be able to ensure that the curriculum is adequately being covered in order to prepare these charges for examinations. And lastly, that we have active affiliated parent teacher association units in all our schools. There should be no reason why an organization governed by an act of Parliament 18 of 76 should not have, especially not public primary and secondary schools, an affiliated, note the word, an affiliated parent Teacher association unit in those schools. That's my wish list. [00:35:50] Speaker A: Does the private schools have a PTA that you're aware of? Are they part of your wider body? [00:35:56] Speaker B: If so, very good question. And, and they should be, they should be because every learning institution should carry a parent teacher association unit. And they have reached out to me, to be honest with you, the president of the private school association did reach out to me. So we are actively, robustly following up with them in 2026, early first quarter, 2026, to ensure that all their schools could come on board. And I'm told that there about 64 private schools in Trinidad and Tobago and we want to ensure that all these schools are actively involved in national Parent Teacher Association. [00:36:32] Speaker A: Hello, good morning. Hello, hello, good morning. Person was trying to get us, I don't know. Hello, hello, good morning. All right, yeah, so I mean that's good news because I know there's 64 as you mentioned, let me see. Hello, good morning. Good morning, good morning. [00:36:50] Speaker D: Hello. [00:36:50] Speaker A: Yes, good morning. [00:36:51] Speaker D: Morning Devi. Good morning and good morning Trinidad and Tobago. This is a caller from Pinal Devi call to congratulate you on the good job you are doing in and 106.5 freedom radio and all the announcers. I wish you all happy New Year and all the best with good health, strength, happiness and a long life ahead. David, you're doing such a Wonderful job. Lovely voice. You talk to people. So sweet and so nice and, and all the best in the new year, Davy. And hello, Trinidad and Tobago. And all the best. Happy New Year. Come in and thank you so much. [00:37:32] Speaker A: I am grateful. Thank you very much for sending your greetings this morning. Hello, good morning. Yes, good morning. [00:37:38] Speaker B: Good morning, you and your guest there. [00:37:40] Speaker C: It is so important for callers and listeners to differentiate between a fact and an opinion. A fact is certain and definite. [00:37:51] Speaker E: Right. [00:37:52] Speaker C: An opinion is flimsy and guesstimate and all kind of things. But to have social media. I'm sorry, for those people, all right, who cannot differentiate a fact from an opinion. All right. So it's very careful, Davis, for you to establish that the difference between us and our opinion. Thank you. [00:38:13] Speaker A: All right. To my WhatsApp caller. Good morning, Davey. Good morning. [00:38:18] Speaker F: First to begin, I got to say thanks for being you and thanks to your station for bringing all those beautiful information and stuff. I like to say that I like what Kamala Passad is doing because she's conducting a psychological operation to awaken the people of Trinidad Tobago to what's coming. The new year is not going to be a walk in the park. And she understands that the mental apparatus that she wants to engender to the people is what is needed. And thanks to her and her party and thanks to Devi and thanks to Trinidad and Tobago. [00:38:56] Speaker B: Stay up. [00:38:56] Speaker A: All right. All right. Thank you so much for your call. Even though it was outside of the conventional way. Hello. Good morning. Hello, Good morning. [00:39:08] Speaker E: Yeah, morning. How are you? [00:39:10] Speaker A: I'm good. What's up? [00:39:12] Speaker E: Well, excuse ingredients to you. I, I, I just is one of the hardest trying to get you. [00:39:21] Speaker C: You see. [00:39:22] Speaker E: You see, today and some days you should give you regular colors a little rest and let the other colors give them an opportunity to call. I see. Guy that's telling the thing about the TT Post issue. Did you check it out for me? [00:39:38] Speaker A: I did, I did. And when I did, my brethren promised to get back to me on it. Now that I have you on the line, you could do me a favor, send me information. Let me forward it to. Just double check with him now. All right, do it nowhere. Do it now. [00:40:03] Speaker E: I did that several times for you. And I mean, you keep. [00:40:07] Speaker A: Wait, wait. What is it? Is it four? Is it not? Is it number 47474? [00:40:12] Speaker E: No. [00:40:13] Speaker A: All right, well, give me a number now. [00:40:14] Speaker E: My number is 303-2541. [00:40:21] Speaker A: All right. Look out for a call after I finish this. [00:40:23] Speaker E: All right, thank you. I want to ask. No, no, no. Don't go yet. I ain't finished it yet. You know, the people have been making, some people have been against the new traffic sign. But David, one of the problem with any law that is made in this country is many a time the officers to enforce the law does not take place. [00:40:50] Speaker H: Right. [00:40:51] Speaker E: Look how quick they're going to charge people for traffic. [00:40:55] Speaker J: Fine. [00:40:56] Speaker E: And there are so many other issues in this country, legal issues that do happen. They don't work on it. Davy, hello. [00:41:09] Speaker A: I'm hearing you right. [00:41:11] Speaker E: One of the things I also want to highlight this morning, there's a police officer that's been drinking and driving through the streets at Grundy with a very high speed. Right. And I up to now I can't understand why that can't stop. And there's also another police officer there's been stopping traffic is a one way street. There's me stopping traffic and blocking the traffic back up at traffic. Sometimes we're talking to their friends. Sometimes I don't know what they just be talking. [00:41:58] Speaker H: So. [00:41:58] Speaker E: But you can't be blocking the traffic officer. And thirdly, a police officer telling people to park in front of a no parking sign there we have madness going on in this country. [00:42:21] Speaker A: Yeah, you're in your buddy. I'm hearing you right. [00:42:23] Speaker E: And there's three streets are blocked off in granny. There's a traffic problem in this country and somebody block up streets and causing more traffic problem in Sangre Grande. [00:42:35] Speaker A: All right, all right. I don't want you to go. [00:42:37] Speaker E: Who has done that? [00:42:38] Speaker A: All right, I don't. We go off topic a little bit. Thanks very much for sharing your thoughts this morning. Hello, good morning. [00:42:43] Speaker G: Hey, morning baby. Morning to the NPTA president there, all the accolades that everybody sent to you. Yeah, I want to double up on that. [00:42:54] Speaker C: Yes. [00:42:55] Speaker G: Mpta. I'm the one who, I really do hope moving forward that they keep track of the learning ability of children with the laptops, without the laptops to see if it has improved in the learning, in our individual ability to learn rather than, you know, that it's supposed to be used as a tool to learn. So I do hope that I come with some statistics that you will interview in the future and you would say there is an improvement in the learning ability where there was a, where there was the high incidence of, you know, passes and success rates in education in these schools that probably need to improve on their success. Also too there's a people of mine where we speak across to one another about the children. But there was a, there was a, there was a Scenario where a girl did a. It wasn't acca. She did a ACCA examination and she didn't see one day in the class she came the highest in the world she got the highest marks in the world and she said I didn't see one day in the class she paid for the exam and she stayed. She stayed home and study she bought the books and she educated and she educated herself and she got the highest marks in the world I think it may be new said line to what degree in terms of children who lack parenting, good parenting, people who don't come from good homes and stuff like that should the NPTA play a role in telling the children that they have the ability to self learn and self taught go through textbooks if a mommy not wrong, stuff like that Is there anything to head in that direction to improve the self learning? Because children are very bright However I don't think we just focus on their ability to. If a teacher absent they could still go through the books and stuff like that Rather than blame these teachers at school for you not educating yourself that's one of the peeve of minds I have and I always bring it up with other educational people who speak on these issues and I'm wondering if there's anything that you had in that direction to bring all the self learning abilities of children in school all right, cool. [00:45:05] Speaker A: Man went deep deeply thank you so. [00:45:07] Speaker B: Much yeah that's a very good point that he made he raised but let me just talk about the first issue first which of course is the competency of our students with or without the laptops and of course not only about that but we want to be able to track our students Davy and listeners with regards to how they are progressing from the time they enter first year the primary school up until they complete the second secondary CSEC and the CAPE examinations so that you're able to monitor and track them so that let's say the high performing students at the SCA are they consistent or is this just an aberration? Are they consistent in their Progress in forms 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 we have to have a tracking mechanism in place and of course we are seeking to arrange such a mechanism to be able to track our students progress year on year and and of course at the end of the academic term in the secondary school and of course that will also apply for the laptops being introduced in our first forms as well with regards to self motivated students we are really pushing that students are supposed to be self motivated, self inspired and being able to work even on their own at times as well to be able to achieve and to be able to reap the rewards of such self motivation. And of course there would be programs that we'd be looking at Kola with regards to complimenting such students when they are so self motivated, so self inspired that they would be able to pass that on and be able to encourage other students to be likewise. [00:46:39] Speaker A: I want to thank you so much as we say thank you for always being a part I want to ex family and thank you for accepting the call for being a part of Freedom's family weekly as the NPTA found a home. Walter in conclusion, your New Year's greetings to the listening audience of the NPTA speaks. [00:47:01] Speaker B: Thank you. Let me start with you and let me join with the other callers who have so highly commended you, Davey and this is really really my concurrence as well. You have been an extremely open announcer and I really want to commend you for the work that you are doing. You're bringing us on board as well. I mean the part that you played in bringing us on board. I must highly commend you as well on that. And I really want on behalf of the National Council of Parent Teacher association highly commend you and of course the management of Freedom 106.5 for giving us a home at the station to be here every Wednesday at 8:20. And we really want to applaud you for that. Thank you all the listeners on Freedom 106.5. To all our friends and supporters. I really on behalf of the National Council of Parent just who says I want to wish you all the best for 2026. Blessings, productivity, success, purposefulness and all the very best to you and your families all in 2026. [00:48:03] Speaker A: Walter, I know you're out of the country, but I want you to get back home safely. And again I want to be able to thank you and your family for sharing you with us. Because to be the president it's no easy stretch and to take up that mantle two terms as you enter your second. I want to congratulate you on that ascension as well. I want to congratulate you on a successful gala that you hosted at the Cascadia Hotel, the long service awards and for the great works and the insight that you bring on the program in terms of the callers interaction. Another mention, the plans of the NPTA and what you hope to achieve in the coming months. So thank you again. Enjoy your day today into tomorrow and reach back to Trinidad and Tobago. Safe. All right? [00:48:47] Speaker B: Sure. Thanks for all the very best. Take care. [00:48:50] Speaker A: Have a good one. The best insight, instant feedback, accountability. The all new Talk Radio Freedom 106.5.