The matters of teacher migration and the recruitment of foreign educators are among key issues to be debated at the 60th annual conference of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) now under way in Duncans, Trelawny.
During the opening session of the conference this morning, Trustee and former JTA president Dr Garth Anderson served notice that he intends to move a motion calling for the association to lobby the Education Ministry to outline a comprehensive teacher retention strategy clearly.
The Education Ministry has indicated that so far this year, fewer Jamaican teachers have resigned compared with the number who left over a similar period last year.
Notwithstanding, the ministry says it will be recruiting teachers from overseas to fill gaps.
The government is exploring countries like Nigeria, Ghana, the Philippines and India for the 2024/25 academic year.
According to Dr Anderson, many teachers are leaving Jamaica because of socio-economic factors and poor working conditions and the recruitment of foreign teachers will not solve these underlying issues.
Dr Anderson wants the Education Ministry to develop a comprehensive teacher retention plan that will reduce the likelihood of Jamaica becoming dependent on foreign educators.
According to him, the reliance on foreign teachers could seriously affect the quality of education in Jamaican schools.
Earlier, in welcoming delegates to the conference, JTA president Leighton Johnson, hailed educators who have built the association which is celebrating 60 years, this year.
Mr Johnson also told them that the work of the JTA was far from over and they had a significant role to play.
“Together, we have the power to influence change, to advocate for the welfare and well-being of our members, and to push for improvements in the education system that benefit both teachers, students and the entire nation,” he said.