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Jamaica teacher migration: Treating the symptoms and not the causes
“Everyone thinks they’re an expert on schools because they were once a student. But thinking you know how to teach kindergarten because you were once a kindergartener is like thinking you could direct a movie because you once watched Star Wars. Teaching is an art and a science. It requires specialised education and years of practice. Listen to teachers.” — We Are Teachers
In 2013 the then Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites, unknown to him, caused me to reconsider more deeply my decision to pursue teacher education.
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This period of doubt and uncertainty came on the heels of his announcement that, at the time, there were more teachers than the number of vacancies in public schools. Nine years later, however, Jamaica, like other nations worldwide, is experiencing a catastrophic exodus and shortage of teachers. The current Minister of Education Fayval Williams recently expressed that over 167 teachers have resigned their jobs since July 2022. Reports emanating from the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) indicate that over 400 teachers have left the island since the start of this year to take up employment elsewhere, and that more teachers are forecast to leave. This is perhaps the single largest migration of teachers that we have experienced as a nation within the last decade.
EFFECTS OF TEACHER MIGRATION
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Teachers and schools are part of the social and cultural infrastructure of all societies but particularly in developing countries. A good education system is central to the creation of a better future for our children/youth and an indispensable element of economic development for any nation. It, therefore, stands to reason that teachers are essentially the cornerstone of any credible education system and their consistent migration in large numbers hampers the productivity and social capital of the society. This is even further detrimental since, in many instances, the teachers who migrate are those seasoned and dedicated ones who have honed their craft and, in some cases, possess graduate degrees in education and subject specialisations. When these teachers leave, it also results in students being unoccupied, less learning taking place, more stress being added to the teachers who remain, and a decline in academic performance for some of our students.
THE RESPONSE FROM THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
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Recognising the effect of teacher migration on our education sector, the Ministry of Education (MOE) sought to address this issue and delineated some approaches that it has taken as a means of abatement as the new academic school year quickly approaches.
First, I commend the ministry for its attempts and I do see how these approaches will serve to provide some amount of recourse. However, in assessing these recommendations on a deeper level, these approaches will not, in any way, address the core of the teacher migration issue. Instead, they seek to address only the replacement of teachers, seemingly, by any means necessary. It would seem as though we are treating the symptoms instead of the source of the malady.
To effectively address teacher migration I believe that an extensive systematic enquiry must first be done to determine the root cause(s). The data gathered should then be used to guide the formulation of valid, reasonable, and cogent strategies to combat the problem.
From discussions with a few teachers who have migrated, I ascertained the following to be significant factors which informed their decision to migrate:
1) Salary: Teachers have families to support, loans/mortgages to repay, and they want a decent standard of living. However, with the exponential rise in the cost of living they are struggling to make ends meet with their current salaries. When matched against other countries, for example, the USA, China, and the UK, offering up to three times our local teachers’ current base pay, anyone would be enticed to leave. To further compound this issue, most, if not all, teachers, when commencing work here in Jamaica, either received no compensation for up to four months or had to settle with a pre-trained salary of approximately $70,000 until their documents were sorted out at the education ministry, which may take up to a year. The same goes for when a junior teacher is promoted to a senior teacher or if a teacher upgrades his or her qualifications. Teachers can wait up to a full year for proper compensation, then they are paid retroactively.
2) Lack of resources: There is a scarcity of resources to effectively complete their jobs. Yet, when students fail, many blame teachers and accuse them of underperforming.
3) Excessive workload: Several teachers teach multiple subjects across multiple grade levels with class sizes of up to 40 students or more on average. Some teachers also have responsibility for a form class, with the same number of students, who they are parenting, counselling, mentoring, protecting, assessing, and coaching while they are under their care. In addition to this, lesson plans, unit plans, and evaluations are expected to be done on time; examination and test papers are to be marked; grades are to be uploaded; and teachers are to deal with disrespectful students and meet with parents. Then, of course, we have the famous professional development sessions throughout the year, and even during times when teachers are supposed to be practising self-care. With so much work, teachers, undoubtedly, become overwhelmed, stressed, and depressed, and some develop medical complications.
4) Other issues relating to the disorganisation of the ministry, frustration created by school administrators/senior educators, and a lack of opportunities for professional growth were also mentioned.
If one examines the suggested approaches by the ministry against the root causes of teacher migration mentioned above, no one can truly say that these are congruent and can/will address any of the reasons teachers leave. Until the source of the malady has been addressed, the problem will continue into perpetuity.
THE WAY FORWARD
Jamaica’s Opposition spokesman on education Senator Damion Crawford, in my estimation, suggested 12 well-reasoned and justifiable approaches to curb teacher migration from Jamaica’s shores.
In addition to these suggestions, I believe the first and most obvious approach to this crisis is an increase in the remuneration package for teachers. Incentives and bonuses, too, can be an option employed to not only address teacher migration but also used as a tool to advance teacher productivity.
Aside from better compensation, significant emphasis needs to be placed on emotional support for teachers. For far too long we have encouraged teachers to practise self-care yet we provide little to no means for teachers to actively practise same. Teachers need to be granted their vacation after working four or eight years. Summer/mid-term workshops need to be limited in number so that teachers can actually get time to rest and recuperate.
Finally, as a country, we need to acquire more advanced systems for the MOE so that it can function efficiently in regard to the payment of teachers and provide responses in a timely manner. All stakeholders must unite and understand their role and make a concerted effort to do and be better.
The reality is that, as a developing country, we lack certain financial resources; however, we must place greater value on those whose love, dedication, and sacrifices have played a major part in who and where we are today. Above all things, we should listen to our teachers.
Let’s treat the causes, not the symptoms.
Jadio Dennis is the founder/director of J Ed Elite Services; an MPhil/PhD candidate in leadership in technical vocational education and training and workforce development at The University of the West Indies, Mona; and a science educator/grade supervisor. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or drjadioemmanuel@hotmail.com.
