THE EDITOR, Sir:
I HAVE read about the teachers in New York and was deeply saddened by their predicament. If what the teachers report is true, then I am very disappointed with the Ministry of Education. Simone, a teacher who has been sent home, should not be asked to repay loans and grants that were not owed. Asking her to repay her grant was a cheap shot as that money was given to her.
If the Government acts in that way, what do we expect subordinates to do? What do we say to our children? Why are the teachers being punished? They are only trying to secure a better future for their families in a more productive country. The Ministry should be happy for them and assist where possible. There is no use trying to get back at the teachers, when there are countless numbers of teachers here unemployed.
The Ministry needs to focus more on creating new employment opportunities for teachers and improving the deplorable conditions of the teaching and learning environment. I am a teacher who worked for only eight months in the educational system and it was a challenge. Overcrowded classrooms and the lack of proper resources are pressing issues that need immediate attention. In some schools there are up to 50 students in one class and yet we expect quality education and it's not that we lack teachers. There are teachers out there who left college two, three years ago and cannot find a permanent position, some are not working and every year there are fresh teachers leaving the colleges and universities.
If teachers want to migrate to other countries they should feel free to leave without being chastised for doing so. We all seek to gravitate towards more lucrative opportunities and better working conditions.
I am, etc.,
Bradshaw
Cariqueen25@yahoo.com
St. Elizabeth
