Petrina Francis, Staff ReporterTHE JAMAICA Teachers Association (JTA) wants the Government to pay teachers a stipend for marking the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) School-Based Assessments (SBAs).
According to JTA President, Ruel Reid, teachers grade SBAs outside normal working hours and are not compensated for it. He is proposing that they get US$5 (J$320) per paper.
Members of the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT), at its biannual meeting held in St. Lucia earlier this week, unanimously supported this proposal. The CUT represents more than 70,000 teachers across the Caribbean.
The JTA boss noted that teachers who conduct oral sessions for students sitting some modern languages are paid by the CXC.
"We are serving notice that, by next academic year, arrangements for compensation should be in place or teachers will refuse to mark any more SBAs," Mr. Reid said.
NO SUPPORT
However, Senator Noel Monteith, State Minister in the Ministry of Education and Youth, said he would not support Mr. Reid's proposal.
According to him, SBAs are regular assignments and should be treated as such.
"I am in support of teachers getting better pay, but they should not be compensated for regular work," Senator Monteith told The Gleaner, yesterday.
Meanwhile, Mr. Reid said he is expecting a favourable salary response from Dr. Omar Davies, Minister of Finance and Planning, by next week.
Mr. Reid told The Gleaner on Monday that, if the Finance Ministry agreed to increase teachers' salary within 80 per cent of market rate over time, the JTA would strongly consider accepting the current salary offer.
The Government had proposed a 14 per cent to 16 per cent increase in the first year for principals and vice-principals, with eight per cent in the second year. For teachers, the proposed rate is between 14 to 22 per cent in the first year and five to eight per cent in the second.
However, an overwhelming number of JTA delegates rejected the offer at a special delegates conference, held recently.
