Education Minister defends move to employ foreign teachers

  

Education Minister Fayval Williams is defending the move by the government to employ teachers from other countries.

 

The ministry has stated that due to a shortage of teachers in some areas it would be sourcing educators from several countries to fill the gaps.

 

Mrs. Williams said the move is not a new one as, over the years, teachers have been brought in to provide instruction in particular subject areas.

 

She sought to assure that the sector will not be flooded with foreign teachers. 

 

"When we look at the new teachers coming into the system, there are gaps in certain subject areas. We went around, we spoke to principals, we talked about their option, and they expressed an interest in having such an option available to them. But again, we're not inundating the system with foreign teachers as the press would make it out to believe or the opposition. That's not what we're doing. It's more of a surgical insertion for those gaps that I know we need to fill from our own system, but it will take some time to do," she stressed. 

 

Grooming 

 

In the meantime, the Education Minister said no child should be locked out of school as a result of issues pertaining to dress and grooming.

 

She was speaking against the background of a recent court ruling in favour of a student who had been barred from school due to her locked hairstyle.

 

The court ruled that the school's policy to bar the child from attending classes violated the student's constitutional rights.

 

Minister Williams has urged principals to work with parents to ensure the matter is treated with the greatest sensitivity. 

 

"The issue of locks in school, of wearing your natural hair, all of those are going to confront us come September 2nd. There ought to be a process in place within our schools for consultation, for talks with the students and parents. We know that these are difficult situations in our schools, but I have every faith and confidence that together we can tackle those and have a successful school year," she declared. 

 

The minister was speaking Wednesday at the 60th Annual Conference of the Jamaica Teachers' Association.