By Mark DaCosta- In a statement released on July 15, 2026, teacher, Opposition Shadow Minister of Education and We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Member of Parliament Dr. Gordon Barker raised serious concerns about the teachers’ promotions process, highlighting what he described as irregularities, procedural failures and systemic injustices.

Drawing on his experience as an educator, Barker argued that the recently published Preliminary Senior Promotion List has left hundreds of teachers frustrated and disillusioned, asserting that the Teaching Service Commission and the School Boards Secretariat presided over a flawed exercise that demands urgent review and redress.

The controversy centres on a promotion cycle that was meant to clear a backlog of vacancies after an unprecedented three-year drought. Between 2023 and 2026, no senior vacancies were advertised, a lapse that has had devastating consequences for educators approaching retirement. “Teachers deserve a system that is not only said to be fair, but is seen to be fair,” the Shadow Minister declared.