The requirements of society and the increased demand placed on teachers especially in this time brings to the forefront the urgent requirements on enhancing the position of teachers.
We have seen the Minister seek to separate Jamaican teachers and hire foreign teachers in the same week.
We have seen a comparison of teachers in Jamaica with their counterparts in Trinidad and Barbados in terms of student performance. Those statements are like a bikini; what it reveals is exciting but what it conceals is vital.
The minister failed whether advertently or not to bring to the table the following points:
1. Trinidad and Barbados both have better teacher-pupil ratios than Jamaica.
2. Trinidad and Barbados pays for the education of their teachers to the tertiary level. We have not funded the loan pool for the Teacher Revolving Loan Programme.
3. Trinidad and Barbados both spend a greater percentage of their GDP on education.
4. Both Trinidad and Barbados spend more on education as a percentage of their total government spending. and
5. What of an assessment of value added in relation to the input versus the output.
Teachers in Jamaica instead of being reprimanded should be lauded for the work they do and the results they get under the circumstances.
Friends let us now say “TEACHERS FIRST” as we are the guardian of the future and the architect of tomorrow.
Clayton Hall's Blog 