Petrina Francis, Education Reporter
THE 40TH annual conference of the Jamaica Teachers' Association begins this morning at the Renaissance Jamaica Grande Hotel, Main Street, Ocho Rios, St. Ann.
It will be made public today whether outgoing president Wentworth Gabbidon, will be asked to stay on as president because of the illness of Michael Clarke, the 2004/05 president elect, who is supposed to assume duties today. The three-day conference with the theme: "Reflecting on the Past -- Repositioning for the Future", will start at 11 o'clock.
"The most likely outcome is that I may have to continue for a while but the final decision will be made on Monday," Mr. Gabbidon said.
This would be the first time in the JTA's 40-year history that a president would be asked to serve another term because of his successor's inability to assume the responsibility.
William Madisha, president of the South Africa Democratic Teachers' Union, will be the keynote speaker at today's first session.
During a function that starts at 8 o'clock tonight, the conference will recognise incoming 2005/6 president-elect, Ruel Reid, a master teacher from Munro College, Top Hill, St. Elizabeth. He was declared winner of the presidential election after the final count on July 30.
There will be several business sessions tomorrow, with an awards ceremony in the night where several teachers will receive scholarships. On Wednesday, Maxine Henry-Wilson, Minister of Education and Culture, and her team will address issues affecting the education system. She is likely to announce that the Ministry of Finance and Planning has written off $20 million that was overpaid to as many as 80 teachers almost 10 years ago.
