Article by Ainsworth Morris

With the Jamaica Teaching Council Bill now set to be debated in the lower House of Representatives after being passed in the Senate on Friday (May 2), Damion Crawford, opposition spokesperson on education and training, People’s National Party (PNP) is deeply concerned that the Government may use its parliamentary majority to force the Bill through.

He is also concerned that this may be done at the disadvantage of one of the nation’s most powerful human resources, which are our teachers. 

During a press conference held at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition in St. Andrew earlier this week, Senator Crawford particularly objected to the proposed bureaucratic registration process that will require teachers to register every five years and submit police records. 

He recommends that the period instead be extended to 10 years while also combining registration and licensing into a single streamlined process and limiting the police record requirement to once, unless there is just cause. 

“We’re not against regulation of any kind. We are against how the approach has been taken. Seeking almost to put at the feet of our teachers the realities of negatives that face with the outcomes of education,” Crawford said. 

“The People’s National Party believes that the JTC bill should treat our teachers with trust, with understanding and with support [rather than] with the punitive nature that may cause an increase in migration and more negative than positives,” he said.

The legislation, which passed with 38 amendments, seeks to establish the Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC) to oversee the regulations and licensing of teachers. 

Crawford added that it was an important conversation regarding education and the JTC Bill, before also proposing a six-month grace period for licence renewal for educators after expiry.

Ethnie Miller Simpson, a concerned educator, strong supporter of the PNP and who will contest for St. Andrew North Western in the upcoming polls, questioned the bill’s provision for mandatory Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

She highlighted that it may not be accessible or affordable, especially for rural teachers.

“The estimated burden here is that if CPD programmes cost between J$10,000 and J$30,000 per year, a teacher could spend up to J$300,000 over a 10-year licensing cycle simply to remain eligible for work,” Miller Simpson said.

She alluded to the fact that teachers bear the burden of complying, but there is no corresponding legal duty on the Council to ensure fair access or affordability.

She said section 45 of the bill, which speaks to continuous professional development as a mandatory renewal condition, under this section, teachers will have to present proof of continuous professional development completion when renewing their licence.

The implication of this is that failure to comply, even for financial or access reasons, may result in loss of licence and loss of livelihood, regardless of classroom competence or years of service.

For her part, she said the PNP wants the financial cost to teachers to also be considered, as teachers may be forced to pay tuition or registration fees for continuous professional development courses, transportation or accommodation for in-person training, materials, certification or other related costs.

The PNP also argues that if CPD programmes, for example, cost between J$10,000 to J$30,000 per year, a teacher could spend up to J$300,000 over a 10-year licensing cycle simply to remain eligible for work.

They also argue that there is no recognition for professional experience and the bill does not allow teachers to earn CPD credit from mentoring junior teachers, leading school improvement initiatives, demonstrating excellence in teaching over time, and the PNP believes in light of this, real world contributions on the part of teachers will be ignored unless teachers separately engage in formal CPD programmes which are often at personal cost.

There is also a risk of rural inequality as teachers in rural and remote areas may have fewer opportunities for approved programmes and development opportunities, face greater financial and travel barriers, and struggle with poor internet access for online programmes.

The bill is also clear about compliance without reward by outlining the punishment of non-compliance with CPD requirements, such as suspension, refusal to renew the licence. Also, the bill does not provide for: salary increases, promotion, advantages or professional recognition for those teachers who complete their professional development diligently.