I write in reference to the Education Sector Plan which forms an integral part of the Vision 2030 Jamaica National Development Plan, which seeks to put Jamaica’s education among the leading nations throughout the world. This policy has overlooked one of the most pressing issues in that of the failing administrators, leading to many of the problems that have manifested themselves within the classrooms.

The policy fails to acknowledge that the Jamaican education system is dysfunctional as a result of the ignominious work carried out by many of the administrators currently in the system. If this policy (Education Sector Plan) is to seriously find a solution for the education system it would require some investigation into all possible causes for the problems with which we are now faced including the dishonourable administrators. A proper education system must include an administration that not only ‘talks the talk’ but also ‘walks the walk’. Progress in Jamaica’s education system can only be achieved through effective administrative work at the ministry’s level as well as the schools, which have all been integral in the success of education in countries like Switzerland and England.

The current education system

We are all aware that at no time the public sector can ever be compared to the private sector in terms of efficiency at every level. The common understanding is that motivation through proper incentives has been the leading cause for this disparity between the two sectors. The necrosis of the Jamaican education system like all other facets of the Government is as a result of insufficient funding and wasteful management of the very little resources that are available. This lack of resource leads to an abundance of problems such as poor physical infrastructure, schools with little or no resource, underpaid teachers, demotivated teachers, and diminishing returns in education.

However, interesting to note is that many of the administrators are handsomely paid for the little work that they actually do. They spend their time visiting schools, making promises that are yet to materialise, as well as many of the reports written by these administrators were not actually done by visiting classes to see how remarkably impossible it is for effective learning to take place in the very overcrowded classrooms. It is easy for many of these administrators to complain about the inefficiencies of teachers because they will get the support of almost every disgruntled citizen, while they themselves are just plain hypocrites knowing very well that they are the ones in actuality that are inefficient.

How to achieve success in education

Like many developed nations, Jamaica needs to adopt a keen sense of accountability not only for teachers but also for the administrators who are for the most part unsupervised. There have been many education workshops throughout Jamaica supervised by administrators, the end results of which are yet to be known. Why is this so? The education ministry spends millions of dollars on special consultants from abroad, who for the most part use the very ideas and experiences of the teachers in their reports. Why do we need special consultants from overseas to fix our problems? As Jamaicans, we understand our culture best, and as such, need to do what we know are the right things to accomplish the success that we desire. It can be perceived by the lack of positive results that many administrators care very little about the success of the country’s education but moreso about their personal achievements. Why are they still in the system? In the private sector, managers are paid well to make effective decisions as well as keep staff motivated so that it benefits the organisations. The truth of the matter is that the administrators in the public education system are doing little or nothing to motivate all the stakeholders involved, which must change if Jamaica is to ever achieve any significant success in education by 2030.