EDUCATION Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly says students should not face any penalties if they choose not to attend private lessons offered by teachers.
She also said there is no reason why teachers cannot do their job during regular work hours and offer lessons after school.
She was responding on January 29 to statements made earlier in the day about students being asked to pay teachers for private lessons, during a virtual meeting held by the Parliament's Social Services and Public Administration Joint Select Committee (JSC).
In a WhatsApp comment, Gadsby-Dolly said, "Teachers are free to offer lessons as a service."
But she added, "There should be no repercussions for a student should they choose not to attend a teacher's private lessons."
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During the JSC meeting, chairman Dr Paul Richards said it was unethical for teachers to ask students to pay for private lessons after school.
Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture Avinash Singh asked if there was a connection between curriculum overload, students' academic underperformance and teachers' giving private lessons.
Singh said in some cases, students are asked to pay for these lessons.
National Council of Parent Teacher Association (NPTA) president Walter Stewart and TT Unified Teacher Association (TTUTA) president Martin Lum Kin acknowledged some teachers offer private lessons after school.
Stewart said this practice should be discouraged.
Lum Kin said the union advised its members it is unethical to give private lessons after school, but added the practice is not illegal.
