As students and teachers return to the classroom today, the president of the Jamaica Teacher’s Association (JTA) says he is confident that schools are staffed with capable teachers who possess the necessary skills to deliver world-class education to students.

The Leighton Johnson, who was speaking on Monday during his back-to-school message to the nation, also encouraged educators to continue to sharpen their skills to remain relevant in a technological society.
“It is imperative that we provide the best possible educational experiences to our nation’s children within our context. We must cultivate positive, conducive teaching and learning environments that nurture curiosity, creativity and a passion for learning. Stakeholders in education there is a direct correlation between teacher motivation and teacher performance,” Johnson said.

He further noted that he remains devoted to advocating for teachers on the issues that they continue to face.

“As your president I remain committed in advancing the call for improved working conditions, additionally, I will remain focused and diligent in leaving no stones unturned to resolve the outstanding issues of the graduate allowance and ensuring that each teacher is correctly positioned in the respective bands in the new compensation framework,”

LEIGHTON JOHNSON

Johnson also urged the Ministry of Education and Youth to increase the presence of school resource officers assigned to schools in the public education sector and address the fencing requirements for vulnerable institutions that remain open to invasion by individuals who intend to disrupt the operations of schools.

“We eagerly await the installation of surveillance cameras to assist in providing greater levels of security within our schools. We implore our bus and taxi operators to demonstrate greater levels of responsibility in the way in which our students are transported to school. We urge you to drive within the speed limits and ensure that our students are entertained with music that is positive, motivating and spiritually uplifting,” he added.

Amid growing concerns surrounding the impact of teacher migration on public schools, Johnson said that he appreciates the education ministry’s policy expansions to reduce the impact of teacher migration and eagerly awaits a full assessment of the impact of the issue on the education system.

“We are aware that there are schools which will start the new school year unable to fill vacancies in critical subject disciplines, creating additional anxieties in the system. The Jamaica teacher’s association will closely monitor these developments to prevent overwork and burn out among our teachers who have chosen to remain on our shores to keep our system afloat. I hasten to remind our employers that creating an environment where teachers can thrive and care for their families is vital,” he said.

Continuing, he called for more attention to be provided to the education sector, including early childhood education, special education, developing a national campaign to train technical and vocational teachersm by providing the avenue for teachers to become chief architects in the design of policy and strategies for education.