Reid
RUEL REID, president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) told The Sunday Gleaner that his organisation did not anticipate an influx of teachers migrating to other Caribbean countries when the CSM takes effect.
According to Mr. Reid, teachers tend to look forward to migrating outside of the region to countries with a higher per capita income.
In 2001, there was an exodus of Jamaican teachers to the United States and the United Kingdom. Since then, a significant number of teachers have left the classroom for 'greener pastures' each year.
Mr. Reid noted that a number of teachers, especially those who specialise in the social sciences, were currently unemployed so the CSM might provide opportunity for those teachers.
The JTA boss said he was concerned that other Caribbean teachers who were more qualified than their Jamaican counterparts would want to immigrate to Jamaica to find jobs.
"And that is why we are pushing for the upgrading of our teachers so that they can compete," said Mr. Reid.
Mr. Reid pointed out that the education system was experiencing a shortage of specialists, early childhood, mathematics and English teachers.
He noted that this was an international problem as more qualified teachers were moving out of the classroom.
To this end, he said he did not foresee specialist teachers from other countries coming to Jamaica.
P.F.
