Time for radical education tranformation, new JTA boss demands
Published:Monday | August 16, 2021 | 11:17 PM
Christopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The new president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) has challenged the Finance Minister to make the 17-year-old recommendation for a radical transformation of the education system a reality.
Winston Smith, the principal of the Golden Spring Primary School in St Andrew was delivering his inaugural address as JTA boss on Monday night following his installation at the Ocean Coral Spring Hotel in Trelawny.
"The Task Force on Education Reform (2004) indicated that there should be a significant increase in the budgetary allocation to the funding of education. I am sure that the Minister of Finance and Public Service is quite familiar with this position since he was a member of that team who crafted that report," said Smith of Dr Nigel Clarke.
According to Smith, the Finance Minister is now in the "correct place" to make the transformation happen.
The education transformation report was compiled by the Dr Rae Davis-chaired task force and presented to Parliament in December 2004.
It indicated the need for a shift to a student/learner-centred system and the opening up of the education system to include wide stakeholder involvement.
At that time, it was proposed that $520 billion be spent over a 10-year period from 2005-2015 to achieve education transformation.
The task force also recommended infrastructure improvement.
In the meantime, Smith is warning that teachers will fight for a share of the resources to deliver quality education to their students.
The teachers have already indicated that they will not accept the Government's 2.5 per cent salary increase to public sector workers for the 2021/22 fiscal year.
“In the distribution of scarce resources, the JTA will not sit idly by and put in jeopardy the ability of our teachers to get a fair share of the resources,” said Smith.
He succeeds Manchester High School Principal Jasford Gabriel as JTA president.
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