RUEL REID, president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association, has issued a salutary warning that reform of Jamaica's education system is proceeding at too slow a pace. Recommendations for change made by the Task Force on Education, set up by the Prime Minister, remain just recommendations, according to Mr. Reid. We assume that the Government, anticipating bureaucratic delays, set up a Transformation Committee with Andrea Nembhard, a seasoned executive, as its principal driving force to move the process from words to action. Now comes word that Mrs. Nembhard has resigned, and this has got to be seen as a significant setback, which reinforces Mr. Reid's warning.
No official reasons have been given for Mrs. Nembhard's departure, but analysis of the various entities and personalities involved would seem to indicate that conflicts and duplications of effort are clear and present dangers. The National Council on Education, having performed yeoman service in crafting the first set of reform recommendations, most of them adopted by the special task force, seems now to have very little left to do at the policy level. Its chairman, Dr. Rae Davis, is shortly to relinquish his post as president of the University of Technology, and this will leave another vacuum.
The establishment of the Early Childhood Commission could result in the Ministry of Education mounting a rearguard action to protect its turf. Respective responsibilities have not been clearly defined in the Early Childhood Act and the appointment of a new and dynamic permanent secretary at the ministry could lead to debate on who is to do what.
As far as we know, not a single community basic school has been registered since the Early Childhood Commission was established, and the question of how, and at what pace. to upgrade the existing cadre of so-called 'pre-trained' teachers in the early childhood school system remains to be settled.
Mr. Reid has pledged that his association is ready to embrace transformation, but worries that "There is a lot of talk but not much action". We share his concern and urge all the parties to look to 'bottom line' achievements to validate their existence.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
