THE Teacher’s Service Commission (TSC) has urged compliance with the August 2009 deadline, set by the Education Ministry, for the registration of the island’s educators, citing the benefits to be derived from doing so.

“There are several benefits. First of all, one has to be registered to be eligible for employment in public educational institutions, in order to be eligible for permanent appointment, promotional opportunities, access to study leave, access to motor vehicle loans and eligibility for pension,” said TSC chairman Bishop Howard Gregory.

He was addressing a JIS Think Tank last Wednesday.

Gregory noted that the registration process was not simply a policy direction being taken by the ministry, but a requirement of the Education Amendment Act of 1980, which stipulates that, ‘a person shall not teach or be employed as a teacher in a public education institution unless he or she is registered as a trained teacher, pre-trained teacher or an authorised teacher’.

“Registration is not merely another administrative exercise, as it is intended to ensure that all teachers are registered based on the prescribed criteria, in order to ensure that they meet the required standards,” he added.

Gregory pointed out that already 10,500 teachers have registered with the Commission, but said there is need for the remaining number to submit their applications. More than 20,000 teachers are currently working in the public sector, which includes infant, primary, secondary and college level teachers.

“The registration of teachers has been going on since (1980), but a significant number of teachers are not registered. We have been concerned as a Commission about this, and we have made several recommendations in terms of the process and how we abide by the law in terms of the requirements for persons to be registered,” the TSC boss said.

“We (the Commission) are embarking on a new programme to get the teachers on stream, because all teachers will have to be registered,” he added.

Registration, he explained, was critical, as it was a precursor to the teacher licensing programme, which will be implemented by the Education Transformation Team in the near future, in keeping with the 2015 deadline for the complete transformation of the education system.

“The Education Transformation Team has been considering things related to registration and the licensing of teachers. And in fact, the registration process is a precursor to the licensing process that will come later,” Gregory noted.

At the same time, he sought to address the concerns of teachers who feel they might be “booted” from the education system. According to the bishop, once they meet the criteria for registration, there was no need to fear. He added that the process was geared at ensuring all public sector teachers met the requirements, and urged those who have not yet obtained the required training, to do so.

Pre-trained teachers, he said, have up to six years to stay in the profession, during which time they must either upgrade their skills, or exit the system at the end of the period.

To be registered, a teacher must submit an application form obtained from the TSC at the Heroes Circle offices of the Ministry of Education, or from any of its six regional offices. In addition, the applicant will be required to submit:

. certified copies of his or her educational qualification;

. a birth and a medical certificate;

. two recent character references; and

. copies of their tax registration number (TRN) and national insurance scheme (NIS) cards.

The TSC has responsibility for more than 1,000 public sector educational institutions. Its functions include reviewing the qualifications of people entering the teaching profession, appointing principals and vice-principals, and managing the registration of teachers.