Dr Mark Smith, president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), has criticised the suggestion to have pastors fill the shortage of religious educators in schools, describing it as a “suboptimal and quick-fix measure”.

While acknowledging that some clergymen possess competencies in delivering instructions, Smith told The Gleaner that using them to fill classroom vacancies is not an ideal solution.

“What, in essence, it does is provide a physical body – a person knowledgeable on biblical matters – but religious education is so much more than that,” he stated.

“Teaching is as much an art as it is a science; it is not just about understanding the content.”

Reverend Newton Dixon, general secretary of the Jamaica Council of Churches, recently told The Gleaner that the organisation is prepared to address the teacher shortage by having ministers of religion teach classes, emphasising the importance of religious studies for students’ psychological development.

However, Smith argues that a more coordinated effort by the Ministry of Education is needed to showcase the value of teachers and address the ongoing issue of teacher shortages.

Smith believes that a more effective solution would be to make teacher salaries more competitive to attract more people to the profession.

“You have an increasing number of young people coming out of secondary schools that just don’t see teaching as a viable profession compared to what they see other professionals being paid. We can’t get away from that reality; we have to tackle it,” he explained.

He added, “We must not fall prey to this notion of running to quick fixes when the fundamental issue is staring us in the face, and we refuse to tackle it.”

Smith also suggested that the ministry could incentivise teacher training in the humanities by offering scholarships.

KEY TO DEVELOPMENT

Recently, The Gleaner reported concerns from two teachers’ college principals about the declining number of students pursuing degrees in social studies, history, and religious education. Fearing the long-term impact of this trend, the principals called for urgent action.

Smith shares this concern, stating, “The ministry’s job is to look at the system in its totality, identify where there are gaps, and address them ... through scholarships; that’s one way we can promote it.”

He also noted the neglect of visual arts and other humanities subjects, advocating for better marketing and policy support from the education ministry.

“We are concerned, and we stand ready to work with the ministry in exploring possible solutions,” he said.

The JTA, he noted, has been advocating for more scholarships in these areas.

“We want to ensure that there are scholarships available for students pursuing fields outside of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), as there are significant gaps currently,” he said.

Smith urged the Government to prioritise investment in education, citing it as key to the country’s development.

“Any country that does not value its teachers, does not value its future,” he stated.

“People often say that when we have a stronger economy, we can invest more in education, but that leads to a chicken-and-egg situation. Education is the engine that drives economic development.”