JTC bill will make criminals of teachers – Muschett High principal
Published:Saturday | June 4, 2022 | 12:10 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
WITH THE proposed Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC) bill creating a stir over its proposed mandate of penalising teachers who are not sufficiently qualified, one Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s (JTA) presidential hopeful is urging educators to stand in solidarity against the draft legislation.
Leighton Johnson, principal of Muschett High School in Trelawny, was in a militant mood on Friday while addressing the annual general meeting of the JTA’s St James Parish Association at the St John’s Methodist Church in Montego Bay.
“I want to tell all of you this afternoon, colleagues of St James, that we must stand resolute against this bill in its current form. The bottom line is that the bill as it is will make criminals of teachers, and we cannot sit by and allow that to happen,” Johnson said.
“If you are practising without a licence, or outside of your licence, a judge can determine whether he charges you up to $500,000, and you get a criminal record. That is untenable ... ,”Johnson added.
Immediate JTA past president, Jasford Gabriel, agreed that while the bill’s intended purpose of regularising the education sector is good, the red flags must be addressed before the bill is passed.
“The JTC bill has been long in coming, and there is not a pushback in terms of professionalising the teaching profession, but certainly there are some concerns in the bill that must be addressed before it can be implemented. ... It must be of concern to all of us that the bill seems to be more punitive in nature, actually in many instances looking for avenues and ways in which teachers can be punished,” said Gabriel.
“There has to be sufficient time provided in the arrangement so that persons, while they practise, can get the minimum qualification to be registered and licensed. The association is ensuring that no teacher will be left out of the loop once you are practising,” Gabriel added.
The JTC bill, which is currently being reviewed by a joint select committee of Parliament, has caused much disquiet among educators.
The bill defines a teacher as a person, who, having been admitted to an educational teaching programme duly recognised in the country where the person is qualified, has successfully completed a bachelor’s degree in education or its equivalent. Alternatively, the educator must have a first degree with a postgraduate diploma in education.
Additionally, the bill will repeal certain provisions of the Education Regulations of 1980 and also regulate the practice and professional conduct of teachers.
Opposition to sections of the drafted bill goes as far back as 2014, when former Prime Minister Bruce Golding described sections of the legislation, which originated under his tenure, as burdensome, unclear of its purpose in some areas, and having the potential to alienate teachers.