JTA President Jasford Gabriel
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Jasford Gabriel
The Jamaica Teacher's Association says it is anxiously awaiting a meeting with the Ministry of Education on its plan to engage some students during summer.
The ministry has said it will announce in coming days details of the programme, which will be voluntary.
About 120,000 students, who have not participated in any form of learning since March last year, are being targeted under the summer programme.
JTA President Jasford Gabriel says the organisation has suggestions to address the learning loss resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Mr. Gabriel says the first action of the ministry, on finding these students, should not be academic, but more focused on mental health issues.
"We need to look at more social workers, specialist teachers, guidance councillors, to get the mindset ready to treat with the learning loss," he suggested.
The JTA is not in support of summer school, arguing that teachers need rest.
Mr. Gabriel anticipates that the ministry will also have difficulty getting students to attend summer school.
"The students themselves who have not been in school, they have told me themselves that they are not interested in summer school. It's just the tradition. It's not gonna change overnight in terms of mindset....It's a bad idea," Mr. Gabriel insisted while speaking Monday on Radio Jamaica's Hotline programme.
The ministry had initially said summer school would be mandatory but has since changed its position, saying the classes will be voluntary.
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