People are growing frustrated about the issues plaguing the education sector, ranging from the migration of teachers to the violent attacks on the nation’s educators by students and parents.
President of the Jamaica Teacher’s Association (JTA), Owen Speid, has already warned that come September, 2020, several vacancies will be able at the island’s public schools, and the Education Ministry will be forced to import overseas teachers to solve the shortages.
One Facebook user, Natalee Stack, highlighted her issues and concerns in an open letter to social media users.
Please see letter below, but peeps how can we find solutions to the issues plaguing the education sector.
“Good morning.
I need someone to tell me what the Jamaica Labour Party is really about. It seems they are more an enemy of the people than anything.
Currently, there is a crisis in our schools. It is well documented that many schools are struggling with staff and resource shortages, inadequate security, violence against teachers, students harming each other, boys’ under-performance, and gang activity, the dropout rate, which suggest elements of a crisis.
Our education minister resigned almost a year ago and has been on charges of corruption months now. The prime minister is the education minister, with an 85-year- old man as Acting Education Minister, Karl Samuda.
The Jamaica Teachers Association gave the government 30 days to start fixing the issues in the school system. Samuda’s response last Thursday was a promise to fence 20 schools. Yesterday he said he’ll provide 1,000 hand held metal detectors.
The bandaid approach is not going to work. This government is out of touch and I don’t believe they care about much.
Minister Karl Samuda has not acknowledged the totality of the crisis the sector faces. We must consider what happens within the walls of the schools. How well prepared are guidance counsellors and deans of discipline to identify and assist students who are vulnerable? What about deploying psychologists to treat children who show signs of mental health disorders? Are there enough professionals within the school system to undertake the necessary intervention? No. Who prepares the teacher to deal with a possible assault and help them deal with the stresses of the current school atmosphere?
Our children’s academic success largely depends on teachers’ well being. We need to ensure that our teachers are physically and mentally well so they can get on with the business of teaching. They are not running a boot camp. They are there to teach.
The incompetence of the Andrew Holness administration is unbearable, and it is straining the nation.”
Is the minister of education mi want the school kids beat to a pulp next then they will do something. I want the kids Dem mob every single top person in the education ministry, then we bound to see changes.
Andrew is busy pumping billions upon billions in the JDF buying expensive vehicles, aircraft and paying ridiculously high salaries to jdf members many of whom don’t have a subject to their name explain to me how a JDF leftenanant can be earning more than $500000, a captain nearly $700000 a major more than $800,000 and the cds nearly $5 mil A MONTH! While qualified teachers are paid so lowly most are struggling. Andrew is spending a disproportionately amount in JDF cuz he is planning more unconstitutional fuckery and wants the JDF in his back pocket.
Jamaica’s educational systems has been trash since the 90s. Let’s not be naive ,social media is just showing it to the world . Trash parents have been sending psychos to school for a long time . Let’s move on from here and be honest
So true. Apart from the 20+ high achieving high schools, the vast majority of high schools are severely underperforming. The upgraded high schools are graduating students who are barely literate. Few few students from these high schools leave with any CXC passes, and most of these students care one way or another. Then they have to spend money their parents don’t have to take classes outside of high school when they are unemployable because of a lack of skills or qualifications.
The educational system can force kids to learn if they are not motivated to learn. To me, it is billions of dollars going down the drain each year due to kids just going to school for the sake of going to school. Don’t get me started on the parents of lot of these kids.