Vicar for Education school visits

By Lara Pickford-Gordon

snrwriter.camsel@catholictt.org

Fr David Khan, the Vicar for Education and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM), has visited 18 RC schools in the Archdiocese, including two secondary, St Francis Boys’ College and the Matelot Community College, as he familiarises himself with the issues they face.

One issue coming to the fore was the need for additional training for teachers to effectively deliver some aspects of the curriculum.

Fr Khan shared this information in an interview Thursday, November 6 at the CEBM’s Belmont Office. A day prior, he was in Tobago visiting the Delaford and Scarborough RC primary schools.

There are 118 primary and six assisted secondary schools under the CEBM management.

Fr Khan said of his visits, “I started with the schools furthest from the CEBM office, so I went as far as Matelot to Moruga to Tobago. The reason being that sometimes these schools that are far and wide do not feel the closeness of the CEBM office”. He added, “I went to listen following the four marks of what it means to be a synodal Church—to relate, listen, discern and humble service, that self-emptying”.

Staff training is in focus for the CEBM based on the feedback thus far. Fr Khan stated: “Many teachers have the qualification to be a teacher in our schools but sadly enough many of them do not have the giftedness imparting the knowledge that they have obtained through their study”. Many teachers also struggle with class control.

He disclosed the CEBM will embark on staff development “in the areas primarily of literacy and numeracy, for example, concepts in Mathematics because it is one thing to know Mathematics [but] to teach a concept is different.”

Fr Khan said training started this term to equip principals for their leadership role since many of them were formerly teachers. “We started a development programme called ‘From Institutional Leader to Transformational Leader’ so we’re having these sessions with our principals, and they will continue in the new year”.

Responding to a question about the state of school infrastructure, Fr Khan responded, “furniture is needed in our school and as normal, there is always ongoing maintenance. Ongoing maintenance is always a factor.”

A highpoint of his visits was meeting the children. He recalled his letter sent to all Catholic schools with the theme Love God’s Children.

He said, “I may have gone just with the intention to simply visit and say ‘Hello’ but when I get there, you know, it is a dialogue, it’s an embrace, it is singing a song…I am no great singer but just the influence of the children, it melts you, it moulds you to give of your best.”

Fr Khan is disappointed with the response to his appeal for alumni of Catholic schools to help with upgrades. There were positive responses online, but little help followed.

“It is very sad in actual commitment, dedication to our schools. It is rather disappointing, and I may use a strong word, ‘distressing’, because to date we only have two persons who have actually made a commitment to help support our schools.” A list has been sent to them and the CEBM is awaiting feedback.

On another issue, Fr Khan said he was aware of the 100 days of prayer campaign, taking place at St Dominics’s RC, for a new school.  The school was condemned as unsafe nine years ago and since then, Standards One to Five are at the community centre, and the Infants’ classes are at the parish hall of St Dominic’s RC church. The campaign was launched October 15 and runs to January 22, 2026, which is the 62nd anniversary of the school.

Fr Khan said the campaign offered prayers for the school to be an institution of excellence, a place where peace is found and where the school’s pupils will learn life skills and succeed.

Fr Khan said construction of a new school is dependent on the Ministry of Education, “and their financial input into the building of a new school. Having said that, I cannot give a date or time when this will be catered for.”