ON THE assumption that as a result of current negotiations teachers' salaries are being adjusted to 80% of their private sector counterparts, the government has every right to demand of them that future pay increases be linked to performance.
The apparent reluctance of the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA) to accept this self-evident principle of efficiency in a modern economy is an embarrassing public exposure of a selfish attitude to the challenge of honest work for fair pay. It is patently illogical to argue, as some do, that it is unreasonable to expect proper performance from teachers because politicians are not held to the same standard.
Previous to these negotiations teachers were underpaid and, with some notable exceptions, did not see themselves as professionals. Some even felt justified working as little as possible or 'moonlighting' on the side. In fact, teachers have been treated as second class citizens by government which institutionalised this contempt by setting entry requirements for teachers college as low as four CXC passes at Grade III. This hardly attracted ambitious and bright candidates to the profession.
The nation sympathised with the teachers and tended to put up with their unsatisfactory performance. Now that the government has apparently regained the moral high ground by paying teachers properly, the time is right to break the cycle of mediocrity and demand that future rewards for teachers be linked to performance in the classroom as objectively measured by the GSAT and CXC results. Concomitant with performance pay increases, the entry requirements for teachers colleges should be raised to five CXC passes of which the pass in English should not be less than Grade II.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
