Morris Dixon says JTC bill was extensively discussed in push back against criticisms by Opposition

Criticisms of the Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC) bill by the parliamentary opposition raise a “real governance” question about whether they are taking their roles as lawmakers seriously, Information Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon has suggested.

The JTC bill, which has been on the drawing board for over 20 years, was passed in the Senate last Friday with 38 amendments.

It will now go to the Lower House for approval.

The proposed legislation is aimed at establishing an improved accountability framework within Jamaica’s education sector.

A key feature of the bill is the establishment of a council that will have the responsibility to regulate the sector and issue licences to teachers.

Senator Damion Crawford, Opposition spokesman on education and training, raised objections about the bill during a press conference on Tuesday, warning that it may impose financial strain on teachers and further demoralise the profession.

Crawford objected to what he described as a bureaucratic registration process that requires teachers to register every five years and submit police records.

Instead, he recommended the registration period be extended to 10 years, combining registration and licensing into a single streamlined process, and limiting the police record requirement to once, unless there is just cause.

He also proposed a six-month grace period for licence renewal after expiry.

But Morris Dixon said none of the issues raised by Crawford and others during the People’s National Party press conference came up during the debate.

Morris Dixon noted that there have been extensive discussions on the JTC bill over the last two years across 45 meetings of a joint select committee of parliament, on which the Opposition is represented.

Further, she said debate on the proposed law was suspended in the Senate for six weeks after the Opposition requested more time to prepare.

“So there is a real governance question: are we doing the work we are supposed to be doing? Are we as attentive to our joint select committees; are we reading the bills?” the information minister told journalists during a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday.

“I ask every Jamaican to go back and look at that debate [in the Senate on Friday] and tell me if you felt that some of the [opposition] members read the bill. It’s very, very important that we are faithful to what we are called to do.”

As an example, Morris Dixon said the Opposition has publicly called for a six-month moratorium on teacher registration.

“That’s where I say they should read the bill because the bill is very clear that once it comes into force, and the minister determines when it comes into force, there is a two-year moratorium,” she said.

“When the regime comes into place, teachers have two years before they need to be registered.”

Morris Dixon noted, too, that the bill does not indicate a cost for registration, but instead stipulates that the Jamaica Teaching Council may determine what the registration fee should be.

“And I have already determined that will be minimal or zero because you want to encourage our teachers to be a part of this,” she explained.

- Livern Barrett

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