JTA to probe NEI report
Published:Friday | January 7, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Nadisha Hunter, Gleaner Writer
Dissatisfied with the recent report of the National Education Inspectorate (NEI) programme, the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) has elected a review committee to investigate the dismal results.
JTA President Nadine Molloy yesterday raised concerns about the way in which the procedure was carried out, saying the association would be taking a first-hand look at the institutions named so that the issue can be thoroughly analysed.
"We were not pleased because the JTA is not part of the committee that put together the inspector instrument," Molloy told The Gleaner. "So we are definitely working on going into the schools to examine the situation for ourselves and talking to persons first-hand because we don't want to just look at the report like that."
Evidence of deficiencies
The recently published chief inspector's report on a pilot programme encompassing 30 schools revealed a significant level of deficiency in teachers' overall subject mastery at the primary level.
According to the report, tabled in Parliament in December, the level of mediocrity in teachers' subject knowledge at the primary level was of concern as, of 23 primary schools that were inspected, close to 50 per cent received a failing grade.
Molloy said the first internal strategy meeting by the committee was schedule for next Monday.
"The persons for the committee have been identified, they are notified and very shortly we are going to start our review," she disclosed.
"We have distributed the reports; we are going to look at it in details so that we can respond to it and make our own recommendations from our position as practitioners in the system," she added.