Letter of the Day | Hold teachers resigning without notice accountable

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The number of teachers getting up and leaving for what they view as better opportunities for themselves and their dependants is a stressful, shocking and really unfortunate issue for the leaders of educational institutions to deal with.

The issue for me is not about persons looking for greener pastures, but the illegal way in which it is being done in so many instances without consequences. Brazen violation of the lawful requirement to give proper notice continues unabated without any implications for the guilty teachers. Many of my colleagues who are school leaders have reported on ‘resignations with immediate effect’ over the last couple of days.

These are not only illegal acts, but it is also turning out to be a massive betrayal of the children. I do wish for the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) to step up and condemn this type of behaviours. The JTA has been, so far, a bit sugar-coated, very disappointing and way too weak.

I would like to suggest the following:

Teachers’ licences should suspended or taken away, based on the severity of breaches or illegal behaviour. Teachers should come under the same governance just like everyone else.

Government should ensure that the teachers who are leaving private institutions for public schools present evidence of having given proper notice, otherwise, the Government will not be in a position to complain or to act, when public school teachers leave to take up jobs overseas.

Members of the Jamaica Independent Schools Association have been hurting very badly over the years because of the overnight departure of many of our teachers to public schools.

It is my personal belief that common sense should be applied, and the move to have only licensed teachers engaged by schools should be put on pause for now. We have no other choice in this crisis but to lean on our untrained teachers, and once they are getting the job done, we should not bother them about getting licensed. As the saying goes, if it is not broken, don’t fix it.

Once a school is meeting the educational standards of educating the children, and they are doing well in the national exit exams, etc, then why bother them about licensing successful untrained staff? One of my daughter is an untrained teacher for the past two years, and so far, at least 98 per cent of her students have been successful at the national exams. Should we bother someone like her?

A final word to the teachers, God is watching your treatment and level of respect which you are showing to the Jamaican children. If you are found guilty, mark my word, you will not go unpunished.

PASTOR WESLEY BOYNES

President

Jamaica Independent

Schools Association