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Western Bureau:
Education International president Dr. Mugwena Maluleke says working conditions and wages for teachers in Jamaica must be improved to prevent the growing problem of teachers migrating overseas in search of better paying jobs.
Maluleke said at the opening of the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA) 60th Annual Conference held at the Ocean Coral Springs Hotel in Trelawny on Monday that the recommendation was based on the input of the United Nations (UN) High-Level Panel on Teachers.
“As Education International, we stand with you in addressing these challenges and we will provide toolkits to assist you in many ways, including raising teacher salaries, improving working conditions, investing in teacher training and exploring innovative solutions. We have also developed toolkits to help lobby for the implementation of the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession,” said Maluleke.
“Improving working conditions is critical as the panel highlighted the need for teachers to have decent working conditions and competitive salaries. We believe this will help attract and retain teachers,” Maluleke added. “We believe that if you continue with the professional development of teachers as recommended by the UN High-level Panel, you will be able to address some of the supply and demand issues in the country. This will increase teacher satisfaction and effectiveness in reducing turnover rates.”
Jamaica has struggled with teacher migration in recent years, with 854 educators leaving the classroom in the eight months to August 30, 2023. Prior to that, 1,538 teachers left the profession between January and September 2022.
In 2023, there are concerns that if the teacher immigration issue is not resolved, more Jamaican teachers may leave the profession by 2026.
Maluk noted that teacher autonomy and technology integration are also critical to retaining local educators.
“We believe that teacher autonomy and teacher voice is very important for our profession and therefore in decision making. If you implement the rest of the recommendations, we believe it will inspire the desire among our young people to join the teaching profession. We will respect their professional autonomy and allow them to make their own judgement on how to teach,” Maluleke said.
“The proposal also suggests the use of technology in innovative ways, which, as I have said before, can help Jamaica meet the particular challenges we face in the world. We need to elevate this profession; we need to make it a career and a career choice so that our students and children can truly build our country,” Maluleke added.
Meanwhile, outgoing Japanese Teachers Association president Layton Johnson urged association representatives to unite and defend the teaching profession.
“Unity is our greatest asset and it must continue to be our guiding principle. Together, we have the power to affect change,” Johnson said.
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