Spencer-Jarrett OCHO RIOS:
JUDITH SPENCER-JARRETT, who was on Monday night installed as the new president of the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA), delivered a fiery inaugural address touching on some of the major issues affecting education in Jamaica.
Mrs. Spencer-Jarrett told the more than 400 guests, including Education Minister Burchell Whiteman and National Democratic Movement spokesperson on Education, Hyacinth Bennett, the country could not be satisfied with the level of performance of students coming out of the nation's primary schools.
"The country must do what is necessary to break the cycle of non-performance of children," she said.
She pointed to the recent results in the Grade 4 Literacy Test as illustrating the poor performance of children. The results of the test indicate only about half of the 45,000 nine and 10-year-olds had attained a mastery of literacy.
The new president received sustained applause when she criticised the government for what she said was an apparent attempt to take away leave benefits due to teachers. A KPMG Peat Marwick report which was completed less than two years ago said the government could realise massive savings by reducing the extent of study and vacation leave granted to teachers.
The issue has been one of the main concerns of delegates attending the JTA conference now on at the Renaissance Jamaica Grande Resort, Ocho Rios. The conference which started on Monday ends today.
"The plethora of calls from teachers to our office who have been denied this facility gives us cause for concern," Mrs. Spencer-Jarrett said, turning to Mr. Whiteman who was seated on the podium. "Mr. Minister, we expect that an assurance that there is no alteration in either the letter or the spirit of the contract."
Mrs. Spencer-Jarrett, who is the principal of Davis Primary School in St. Catherine, was also critical of the policy of employing pre-trained teachers, noting Jamaica had the highest number of untrained teachers in the education system in the Caribbean.
"We must find some other way to encourage those who are really serious about teaching to see it as a profession, requiring professional qualifications which they must work towards achieving," she said.
Meanwhile, outgoing president, Dr. Nadine Scott called on the government to take into account the comments which the JTA had made with regard to the Green Paper on Education.
"A great deal of time and thought were spent at the local and national level examining the Government's Green paper. We sincerely hope our suggestions will be duly respected and hence reflected in the impending White Paper," she said.
Monday night's function also saw the proclamation of Paul Adams, vice-principal of St. Elizabeth Technical, as the president-elect of the JTA for 2000/2001.
Journalist Franklin McKnight and radio announcer Thelma Porter also received the JTA Partners in Education award for their contribution to Education.
