Dear Editor,

The Jamaica Observer editorial of Sunday January 5, 2020, ‘Let’s look at reforming leave entitlement in education system’, proposed the adding of four weeks of teaching time to the academic year; that is, to the current 10 months (September-June) for students in schools. This was made in comparison with other professional groups who are “fortunate to be employed [and] work 11 months out of each year”.

While recognising our changing learning environment and the relevance of such a proposal, I am not sure many people in teaching, the Ministry of Education, or the Jamaica Observer realise that the salaries of teachers are spread over 12 months, but for a contract that covered less time (10 months). Hence your recommendation is on a false premise that teachers are being paid for doing no work during the summer months; therefore, no one would have felt working in the holidays was too much to ask for teachers.

If teachers are to work for an extra four weeks then they must be paid for an extra four weeks, because their current pay structure is for 10 months spread over 12.

Dudley C McLean II

Mandeville, Manchester

dm15094@gmail.com