Nothing wrong with JTC bill, but other improvements in education needed - Wright

 

President of the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools, Linvern Wright, has expressed support for the Jamaica Teaching Council bill, but has cautioned that it must be complemented by other actions to improve the education sector.

 

The Senate on Friday approved the proposed law that will formally establish the JTC, which will regulate the teaching profession and issue licences.

 

The legislation, which has been pending for more than two decades, is to be debated in the House of Representatives.

 

Mr. Wright says, while the bill will improve accountability within the education sector, it will not resolve the many challenges that teachers encounter.

 

He called for politicians to give the same level of enthusiasm to fixing the issues as they have the JTC bill.

 

"So, for example, if we're talking about professional development, in our education system, now, the technological support is very weak. So, for example, while there might be some computer software availability to teachers, to actually access many of those things that would assist learning, not there," Mr. Wright pointed out. 

 

He added that, among other issues, financial support is weak. 

 

"We have been working for the last how many years, for example, in the secondary system with the same amount of money, $17,500, you know, to support children, in particular things that will happen to them. We still have a problem with what we think are political appointments, because if we're talking about quality, morale could be affected by things like that. Infrastructural inadequacies, there are so many schools that if you look at the conditions under which teachers are working and principals are working, you know, all of those things are problematic."

 

Mr. Wright was speaking Monday on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines.

 

At a virtual meeting convened by the Jamaica Teachers' Association on Sunday, some educators expressed discomfort with the JTC bill, which proposes to introduce provisions that distinguish between registered, licensed and authorised teachers.

 

It was also introduced to fit the proper requirement, including criminal background checks for people seeking to enter the teaching profession.

 

A subsequent post on social media suggested that coming out of the meeting, educators were encouraged to wear black and march on the Kingston and St. Catherine offices of the JTA.

 

The parliamentary opposition will also hold up a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, at which time it intends to highlight concerns with the JTC bill.

 

 

In the meantime, the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) believes the JTC bill will have a far-reaching value-added effect on the education sector.

 

NPTAJ President Stewart Jacobs, who was also a guest on Beyond the Headlines, said the proposed law will give parents an increased level of comfort about the teachers to whom they are entrusting their children.

 

But Mr. Jacobs said there could be drawbacks.

 

"There has to be an alignment of other areas of the education sector that will enable that it works. For example, a potential drawback is the administrative burden, as it may impose additional administrative work on teachers and the Council to track and document professional development hours and requirements. 

 

"Then there's access to resources. Not all teachers may have equal access to continuing education opportunities or resources, potentially disadvantaging some individuals, which would be so unfortunate. And then there's the cost of professional development," he outlined.