KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Minister of Education and Youth, Fayval Williams, has welcomed the decision by members of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) to accept the government’s four per cent wage offer. 

Reports are that 68 per cent of the 25 thousand-strong JTA voted on Monday to accept the offer. 

“I want to commend the leadership and members of the JTA for this decision and for acting in the best interest of the nation’s children. I know that it is a challenging time all around for every sector of the Jamaican society but we also know that education has been particularly hard hit by the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, anything that contributes to stability in the education sector is to be welcomed,” Williams said in a statement Tuesday evening.

Williams said the entire ministry, its regions and its various entities remain committed to working with all stakeholders, “to help our students recover from the learning loss (caused by the COVID-19 pandemic) and to continue the ministry’s thrust to eliminate the digital divide”. 

Meanwhile, the JTA has given the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service until the end of the financial year in March to pay the increased salaries and benefits to its members. 

Teachers, as part of the deal, will receive a book and software allowance of $40,000 per year.