Minster has no right to suspend teachers

ALLOW me to comment on a public statement made by the Education Minister in Parliament session on Thursday. The same also appeared in The National, which the minister stated having powers to suspend teachers who collected any form of fees.
The minister made reference to the Teaching Service Act as the
underlying law, giving him full powers to suspend teachers who offend.
However, all teachers only know that the suspending authority is the Teaching Service Commission.
Section 90 of the Teaching Service Act has given powers to the Teaching Service Commission to suspend teachers who commit disciplinary offences. Even the Education Secretary and the department do not have that power.
The best they can do is to refer any offending teacher to the Teaching Service Commission to be dealt with in accordance with the Teaching Service Act.
However, if the minister and secretary insist that they have the powers to suspend principals then they can go ahead and suspend them for collecting additional fees.
The principals will sue them both for unlawful suspension and the State will pay the costs.
Since independence, we have not heard of any education minister or secretary suspending principals or teachers.
We have only heard of the Teaching Service Commission and those authorised by TSC, which includes primary and secondary schools inspectors, suspending teachers.
It is time to tell the truth.

Concerned, Via email