Attracting Generation Y to teaching

Many discussions about improving education in Jamaica have focused on enhancing the capacity of our 24,000 public-school teachers. But we also need to strategically look at the calibre of persons who are being, and will be, trained as teachers. McKinsey & Company (a well-respected international management consultancy firm) whose study of more than 50 school systems across the globe, revealed that no country has managed to achieve a world-class education system without screening (if you will) those who become teachers.

South Korea, Finland and Singapore recruit teaching professionals from the top third of college and high-school graduates who have excelled academically and have demonstrated appropriate behaviours.

In doing the research for a succession-planning strategy document three years ago, I discovered some startling data with regard to the retirement of school leaders. Between 2009 and 2011, some 363 principals and 415 vice-principals would have retired from active service. This has far-reaching implications not only for the number of school leadership positions that would be available, but the ethos and work ethic that will characterise our institutions of learning.

Now, it is not to suggest that all Generation Xers are paragons of virtue, but we must admit that many Generation Yers do not have a values-based conviction consistent with the call to teach. In fact, several become teachers simply because they are unable to access job opportunities elsewhere. This we must disallow! Teaching needs to offer committed aspirants salaries and conditions, professional networks, status and the prospects for ongoing learning that will attract and retain the brightest minds.

Best of the best

First, the three three republics cited earlier make teacher training highly selective. This is not the case in Jamaica. We allow many of our young prospects to matriculate to teachers' colleges with the minimum four or five subjects at the grade-three level and complete the course of study with low grades. It would be rather interesting were we to conduct a landmark longitudinal tracer study that tracks a cohort from entry to college to performance appraisal after their first year of teaching.

South Korea, Finland and Singapore also limit the number of persons pursuing teacher training to the actual demand; this ensures job security. This could be a useful idea for the Jamaica Teaching Council, given the expressed shortage of trained personnel in critical areas such as math and science.

The governments of Finland and Singapore absorb all costs related to teacher training and, in addition, award stipends to student teachers. What usually obtains in the United States is that college students pay their tuition and, in so doing, rack up enormous loans. That is also the case for the average tertiary student in local institutions. Clearly, our economic size and realities do not allow us such luxury, but might I then suggest that we explore cancelling or reducing the loan balances for our own nationals who successfully complete teacher-training programmes and teach for up to 10 years.

Teacher autonomy

Third, what is evident in these countries, and especially Finland, new teachers immediately become a part of a school environment in which there is autonomy over what is taught, as well as how their school budgets are expended. There are also clearly articulated pathways for professional development. Anecdotally speaking, this is not the norm for our schools, as 'young' teachers are often assigned the most difficult and diverse group of high-need learners without the requisite mentoring and coaching that develop proficiencies.

We need to find a way to regain lost ground and restore teaching to its former glory. It would be so good were we to identify and reward high-performing teachers and administrators, improve the conditions in our schools and embark on a campaign via social media that gives teaching the virtue of presence in an otherwise dim marketplace.

Some may argue that these are the worst of times, but I choose to believe that these are the best of times. How the education sector crosses the generation divide will depend on how well we recruit and retain academically gifted and morally responsive Generation Yers to teaching in our classrooms.

Maurice D. Smith is a doctoral student at Howard University. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and maurice.d.smith@bison.howard.edu.