ROSE HALL, St James — Former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education Elaine Foster Allen has urged educators to change the public perception that some of their colleagues conduct themselves in an unprofessional manner.

“In the teaching profession, there are some negative, residual and current opinions and feelings voiced about teachers: ‘dem nuh cyah (care)’; ‘dem naw teach the pickney dem nothing’; ‘a buy and sell dem a buy and sell and dem a live pon extra lesson money’. These are messages that we have sent about ourselves and we need to correct them,” she told delegates attending the opening session of the three-day 54th Annual Conference of the Jamaica Teacher’s Association at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay, St James, Monday.

Foster Allen, a past principal of the Shortwood Teachers’ College, said that during conversations with her former students, it was conveyed that oftentimes teachers who enter the classroom, fresh with zeal, are discouraged by some seasoned educators.

“Up to last week I was in conversation and the following was said: ‘Teachers say to new teachers, a wey you a kill up yourself fa? A show you come yah fe come show we up?’ That can’t be right,” she said.

She argued that young teachers who enter into the profession with zeal must be embraced and encouraged by their seasoned colleagues.

“When people come into the classroom with energy and vigour, you must welcome them and say let me catch little of the vigour,” she said.

In the meantime, Foster Allen said there should be “clear policies and procedures for things like appointment”, as there is a perception that corruption, nepotism and cronyism is rife.

“It (corruption) inna school, it inna ministry, and it inna Government.”

She added that some areas that educators might be asked to bring positive changes to the promotion of gambling and trickery, economic growth, unevenly distributed wealth, the nation’s vulnerability to natural disasters, and high public debt.

Monday night, outgoing president of the JTA, Georgia Waugh Richards, passed the baton to Dr Garth Anderson.

The three-day conference is being staged under the theme: ‘Promoting the Teaching Profession: A Beacon of Hope and Inspiration to our Nations’.