The Editor, Sir:

The greatest investment a country can make is in its human resources. The effect of education surpasses all other schemes that can be coined.

Over the years I have had the impression that Jamaica has not shown its seriousness in this regard. The Education Transformation Team, commissioned by the illustrious Percival James Patterson, came about because of one of the best studies done in the history of Jamaica. Out of this, we have seen the advent of concentrations on numeracy and literacy, among other things, which form the basis of any great education system. What we must be careful about, though, is that we do not forget that the other tenets of the system are not to be deprived of funds, even though a multifaceted approach must be maintained.

Successive governments should do whatever it takes to ensure that the system becomes magnetic to the extent that we continue to attract persons of excellence from overseas. That would be the real test of our system. We attract educators at the higher levels but not at the lower levels. Something must be intrinsically wrong. Is our system world class? Is our compensation package world class? Let's not turn a blind eye to the needs of our educators while other sectors of workers are well off from the same purse.

The bottom line is that we need to ensure that educators are properly compensated for the hard work that they do. We must rescue Jamaica from the crises of illiteracy and there is only one set of persons who can do that - our teachers.

Let us give them the respect they need and the material support to continue to do a difficult job in difficult times.

I am, etc.,

KERON D. BROWN

ELLINGTON

Alderton District

Aldeton P.A.

St Ann