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JAPSS President Linvern Wright
School administrators across the island are busy recruiting new teachers to fill positions left vacant following the exodus of hundreds of teachers to jurisdictions abroad.
With the new school year set to begin next week, the Ministry of Education says it expects to lose hundreds of teachers through teacher-migration.
In an interview with Radio Jamaica News, Linvern Wright, President of the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools (JAPSS), said administrators have stepped up their recruitment of new teachers to ensure a smooth reopening of schools.
He said advertisements have been put out and some teachers have been responding to the call, with interviews taking place.
However, Mr. Wright admitted that "the real challenge" will be to fill positions that will become vacant as last-minute resignations begin to come in.
Still, he is confident that "between now and next week to, at least the second week [of school], we will have filled those positions - as long as people are available".
But if the concerns about an increased number of teachers migrating holds true, Mr. Wright warned that students could be without teachers at the start of the new term, until the positions can be filled.
He hopes this process will also take no longer that two weeks into the new school term.
Unruly students
At the same time, Mr. Wright said school administrators are implementing measures to deal with unruly students in the new school year.
There were several violent incidents among students across the island during the last school term.
At least three students were killed.
Mr. Wright wants the Ministry of Education to provide the necessary tools to deal with behavioural problems exhibited by students.
Among the tools, he requested an increase in the number of social workers and psychologists designated to assist students with maladaptive behaviours.
In addition, the school administrator called for a sustained programme for students, noting that "when we refer them to the state agencies, they come back to us because the state agencies don't have enough resources to give them the kind of sustained attention that they need, to ensure that these behaviours are curtailed".
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