Description
A one-time bursary will be offered throughout the Caribbean Union of Teachers' Units to women teachers who are pursuing studies and who can benefit from financial assistance, i.e., qualified women teachers who are concurrently studying or who are on study leave.
Objectives
The Caribbean faces a situation where the majority of its households are headed by women. Within the education system, over 90% of teachers are women. Pursuing further studies can be a financial burden for a woman who has family responsibilities at the same time. Also, some of the younger teachers come from households that can ill afford to support them financially while they pursue studies, or can hardly survive without the financial assistance of the teacher. A bursary can make a significant contribution to the student teacher’s ability to continue her studies successfully.
To assist women teachers who would benefit from financial assistance, to pursue studies in education.
The one-time bursary will make a contribution to the student teacher’s ability to pursue a programme in Education.
Activities
Planning stages of the activity:
- A list of criteria for qualifying has been developed and approved and will be shared to all CUT Units.
- The identification of the bursary recipients will take place by mid-January 2026.
- The payment of the bursaries will take place by the end of February 2026.
Implementation of the activity:
- The identification of the would-be recipients will be done by the Units of the CUT.
- The qualifying applications will be sent to the CUT Secretariat.
- The selections will be made by the Secretariat and approved by the Officers of CUT.
- Distribution of the bursaries will be done by the individual Units.
Outcomes
The support given to a member can solidify members’ views that the union is interested in their welfare, thereby lending greater support to their union. The bursaries can ease the burden of a recipient experiencing financial difficulties. Some teachers could receive pay increases based on their improved qualifications. Better qualifications improve the chance of mobility within the system. The more qualified teachers students have, the better their chances of improved learning. The education system will be enhanced by an increase in teachers who have successfully updated their qualifications in education.