A Manchester teacher is now awaiting reinstatement following her dismissal by the school board for what it said was her failure to prepare lesson plans.

An order by the Teachers' Appeal Tribunal in December for Sharon Welsh to be reinstated at the Manchester High School was on Thursday signed off on by the tribunal and is now to be acted upon.

Welsh's attorney, André Earl, told the Jamaica Observer that he expects his client to be back in her old job, which she held for a little over 20 years, by the latest Monday.

To that end, the attorney Thursday sent a letter to the school board informing that the tribunal had signed the formal order and asked for her immediate reinstatement.

The board had in April last year informed Welsh, via letter, that her employment would be terminated, effective August 31.

Welsh appealed the decision and the tribunal heard the matter between September and October at the Ministry of Education.

The teacher submitted, through her attorney that she was not granted a fair hearing before her dismissal and denied allegations that she had not prepared regular lesson plans.

"The Appeal Tribunal identifies fundamental defects in the charge proffered against the appellant. While the charges enunciate 'neglect' on the part of the appellant, the constituent of that neglect and the requisite details must be provided, to enable the appellant to respond comprehensively," said the tribunal.

Added the appellate body: "The mandate of this tribunal is to ascertain whether or not the proper procedure was applied in the previous enquiry and to determine whether the rules of natural justice prevailed. In this matter, we find that there was material departure from the directives of the legislative [The Education Regulations, 1980] provisions. The consequence is that a fair examination of the matter was not achieved."