Petrina Francis, Education Reporter
SMITH
OCHO RIOS, St. Ann:
JAMAICA TEACHERS' Association (JTA) official, Patrick Smith, is urging the Ministry of Education to employ more education officers.
According to Mr. Smith, the senior secretary for member services at JTA, there are 1,002 educational institutions in Jamaica and only 168 education officers. As a result of this, he noted, there are some schools that will never be visited in a single year by an education officer.
"And it's not because these people (education officers) are lazy and indifferent, it's just the issue of reach coupled with the idea that you would be told that your mileage is capped," he said.
Mr. Smith was speaking yesterday at the JTA's 41st annual conference, which is being held over three days at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.
He said his organisation was concerned about the restructuring of the Ministry of Education and the elimination of certain positions, a recommendation made by the task force on education.
POSITION OPEN
One such position, he noted, was that of the chief education officer, which is absent from the new hierarchical structure developed by the education task force.
But yesterday, Senator Noel Monteith, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture said the hiring of more education officers is not practical at this time, although he agrees that the system needs better supervision under the leadership of education officers. Senator Monteith noted that there are proposals on the table to address the problem but they have not been totally worked out as yet.
Additionally, the JTA is seeking clarification on the renegotiation of leave entitlement for teachers. Currently, teachers are entitled to four months leave after five years of service. The task force report recommended, however, that teachers should be entitled to four months leave after seven years. Mr. Smith noted that the association could not enter into any discussion which was aimed at reducing the benefits that have been won through the struggles "of those who went before us."
Another recommendation which was made by the task force on education was the establishment of independent regional authorities, but Mr. Smith is against this recommendation. He noted that the existing regional offices should be retained and strengthened to properly carry out their functions.
