I was born and raised poor, but I consider myself to be very fortunate and privileged. Privileged to have had dedicated people who were willing to have toiled to ensure that I was exposed to the best kind of education this country had to offer.

I was graced with the awesome presence of people who ensured that the lessons they prepared were well researched and appropriate so that my eager, knowledge-hungry mind could be nourished to face the world I was meant to face for decades to come.

Indeed, I was and still am a privileged, fortunate boy of impoverished genesis, who had teachers who cared. I find it a little redundant to speak of teachers who care, because I believe all teachers care.

In November 2015, I graduated university with honours, smiling and beaming with immense pride and joy. Of course, it was a happy moment, but it was a passive one because having got just two invitations, I could only invite my immediate family. It was disappointing because if I had my way I would carry the entire staff at both the primary and high schools I attended. Of course, this was not possible, but it was worth dreaming. This was the reality because above all I, though necessitous throughout life, was never made to feel inferior by my teachers. I would have loved to smile and nod with gratitude in my eyes to the grade six teacher who would spare from her meagre salary just enough to ensure I received lunch, so that I could stay in school. “Thank you, Miss Cherry (as she is affectionately called)” for offering free extra GSAT classes and preparing me to pass for my first choice traditional high school. Oh what I would have given to have seen the satisfaction on my teachers’ faces. Oh what I would have given to see my kind-hearted first and second form teacher Miss Smalling smile gracefully and beam with pride as she watched me collect the well-earned degree.

Ultimately, I would have loved to see all my teachers proud, knowing that all the hard work they put in was never in vain.

I am sure there are many Jamaican students in that graduation ceremony who have wonderful stories of how teachers were parents, psychologists, mediators, motivators, mentors and even trusted friends who made what was a difficult school life, one of joy and unforgettable experiences. All this they do while in a system that sets them up to fail before they have even started. All teachers are trained the same way yet some are given different quality children and a resource-anorexic system in which to work miracles. I dare say, whether we were poor or not, where we are today we have an angel in the form of a teacher to thank.

Too often we take that for granted. We never realise how ignorantly we believe it is the teacher’s job to be our mothers and fathers, our saviours and cheerleaders. No, they do not have to do it, but teachers have a heart that is bigger than ours.

I fail to comprehend why teachers are not compensated more for the jobs they do. As kindhearted as they are, they still need to survive and live a quality of life that is representative of the tremendous contribution they make to society. Anything shy of this would be blasphemous and downright wicked. A teacher should be able to afford a decent two-bedroom, concrete house and be able to take his/her children on vacation at least once every three years, if he/she so chooses. A teacher should be able to afford his/her child quality education. A teacher should be able to have disposable income to buy his/her children presents. It is an absolute shame that we should treat such angelic souls as if they are slaves.

I declare for all the contributions teachers have made and continue to make to society, I am prepared to pay more taxes so that teachers can get better salaries, because a happy teacher makes a happy and successful student. I am prepared to drive a longer route to the country, if one less highway in this small island means more monies available for teachers to get better wages. I am willing to see enormous benefits packages transferred from incompetent and underperforming government officials to teachers so that many more Miss Cherrys and Miss Smallings can be motivated to inspire more little boys to chase their dreams, even as they work in a high stress, demoralised social environment. Governments who are serious about empowerment through education find the money or strike the deals to properly compensate core nation builders, chief among which are teachers. The time has come for those who control the country’s resources to demonstrate what their priorities are and if education and proper compensation of teachers does not stand at the top of that list, then they have no business at the helm of our country.