Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
OPPOSITION SPOKES-MAN on Education, Andrew Holness, has voiced his support for the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) in its ongoing wage negotiations.
"I would support the JTA and the teachers of this country asking for a greater increase, greater than 25 per cent in the first year and greater than 20 per cent in the second year," Mr. Holness said during Sunday's Area Council One meeting at Papine High School in St. Andrew.
Mr. Holness said the JTA could not accept less than that to keep ahead of inflation.
Earlier this year JTA President Ruel Reid told The Gleaner the association would be asking for a 30 per cent increase in April 2006 and 25 per cent in the 2007/2008 academic year.
PROGRESS DISAPPOINTING
The JTA, which represents more than 20,000 teachers, also signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Government and trade unions in 2003. The MoU will come to an end this month.
Mr. Holness said he was disappointed with the progress made with monies from the National Housing Trust (NHT), by the Government to transform the education sector.
Last year, Parliament approved a transfer of $5 billion from the NHT to help in reforming the education sector.
Mr. Holness said the ministry had spent only eight per cent ($406 million) up to now.
Last month, Education Minister, Maxine Henry-Wilson told Parliament her ministry had only received $444 million to date from the NHT.
But Mr. Holness said several principals have been calling him to find out what has happened to the money, as many schools were still not fixed.
He accused the Government of wasting the money to set up an Education Transformation Unit, which he said was not necessary, because there were already persons at the ministry who could do that job.
"They set it up to waste more money and they set it up for another reason, because they don't have any faith in the technocrats, the people who make the policies and push the papers in the ministry," he said.
Mr. Holness said that while these persons from the unit were professionals, they do not know what is happening on the ground.
