More vacancies for teachers

By Omar Anderson, Staff Reporter

THERE WERE more vacancies for teachers for various subjects at the secondary level this year than last year, a survey by the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) shows. One of the main contributing factors was the recent exodus of more than 300 teachers who left local schools to fill vacancies in New York schools.

The survey focused on the number of advertisements placed in The Sunday Gleaner this year for teachers specialising in different CXC subjects.

Specifically, the dates were August 26, September 2, and September 9, 2001. The data extracted from the newspaper on these dates were then compared with data collated last year on August 27, September 3, and September 10.

For example, on September 2, this year, there were 12 vacancies for English Literature teachers in schools islandwide, compared to three last year. There were three vacancies for English Literature teachers on September 10, last year compared to 13 this year.

The survey also showed that there were 14 vacancies for Mathematics teachers on September 9, this year, compared to four last year. Another subject this year which had a greater need for teachers is Biology, with 13 on September 2. Last year on September 3, there were only three vacancies for Biology teachers advertised in The Sunday Gleaner.

Information Technology also showed a shortage of teachers this year; at least on August 26 - almost a week before the start of the new school year. On that day, 10 advertisements were placed in the newspaper for teachers, five less than the numbers placed on August 27, last year. But, it should be noted that although the shortage of teachers in Information Technology was more severe in August this year, the number was reduced to three by the beginning of school earlier this month.

Dr. Adolph Cameron, Secretary-General of the JTA said last week that while the data might not be broad-based, it showed a difference in the numbers of available teachers prior and after the beginning of both school years.

"All we can conclude is that there's a shortage of teachers at the upper level of the secondary school, and the shortage is greater than what existed last year," he said.

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