THE EDITOR, Sir:
MY ELDER daughter left Jamaica in 1995 to attend the North Campus of Florida International University. Seven years later, she returned to Jamaica last summer with both Bachelor's and Master's degrees. She decided that she might enjoy teaching, to which end she accepted a job at her alma mater, St. Andrew High School for Girls.
Last month, she brought home her first pay cheque of $26,260.45 after seven years of 'foreign' education. I took the cheque to the National Chest Hospital where I work and showed it around, to everyone's disbelief.
When I divide this by the 31 days in the month, I get $847.75, which happens to be less than the helper in my house is paid. She gets breakfast and lunch, she does not have to be here until 8:30 in the mornings, and by 3:00 or 3:30 usually she has finished what she has to do.
Many afternoons she gets a drive to her gate. She takes home no work from her job to do on her own time at home. My daughter, on the other hand, always has papers to mark and lessons to prepare for the following day at home. Sometimes this takes her till 9 in the night or later.
She still maintains she likes her job. She can afford to like it. She drives one of my cars, lives at home, meals prepared, piano lessons and dental bills paid, and so on. She says there are teachers who earn less than that. How can, say, a single mother (teacher) with two children, who has rent, child care, bus fare (no car here), food, clothing and other necessities survive?
What is the Government thinking when they offer teachers 2 per cent or 3 per cent raise in salary. Then whine when teachers leave?
I am, etc.,
JUDITH ROSE-SPENCER (Dr.)
Barbican Road, Kingston 6
