And while they were out there, one teachers decided to speak out against the salary cuts. Trecia Reneau says she already lives hand to mouth and if the 10% cut is implemented, she doesn't know what she will do. She explained that she had children to take of - her own and her students - along with a mortgage. And that's why she protests day after day because she simply cannot afford the cut - and especially not for three years.
Trecia Reneau, BNTU Member
"To be honest, it will affect be big time, because first of all, I am a single mother, I have a daughter going to sixth form and she had to drop out of school just because I can't pay the fees, she sign up for six subjects and out of the six she only get two. Next thing you know, a thousand and add dollars for those two subject, you can't do no payment plan, I couldn't afford that, this semester she had to drop out. I have a big mortgage that I have to pay, and it's me one, I don't have anybody else by my side to help me, I have other family that have to depend on me, my mother likewise, so this, I am already from hand to mouth so I don't know what will happen to me after this."
"The next thing, for the 33 years of teaching, I have been taking money out of my pocket, constantly, helping students, especially from the school that I come from, the children that go to the school there are the poor of the poorest. So majority of those children, they don't have it, their parents don't have it, so we as teacher we have been taking out of our pocket. My children, I have more than one, and they always complain because I take away from my children to give to these children in my class and in my school. So it's very hard, one of the parents, I told her when I get cut, I don't know what will happen, she said well my child will suffer more because you are the one who help the children a lot at school."
