Dear Editor,

Teacher migration is not new. In fact, we are a migratory set of people. Our history is one rooted in forced migration from the African continent across the Atlantic to the Caribbean.

Many factors contribute to the exodus of teachers. Perhaps chief among them is the fact that middle- and high-income countries have the economic ability to offer better compensation packages to teachers and, as a result, teachers will always view this as a viable option.

Outside of low salaries and poor working conditions, the lack of a clear career path is also another reason for teacher migration. It cannot be that a teacher spends over 30 years in the profession without any form of promotion. The teaching profession in Jamaica is in need of clearer career paths, whereby a teacher knows that after serving for a specific time he or she can be promoted. Unfortunately, many teachers spend a lifetime just being a classroom teacher.

In 1998 the Master Teachers’ Programme was introduced. However, the perception is that this initiative has not lived up to the expectations. How many master teachers can any one school have?

Another area of concern for teachers is that of transportation. It is not outside the capability of the Government to establish a teachers car loan scheme in which very low interest rates and/or concessions are made available to teachers who wish to purchase a motor vehicle.

Access to affordable housing ranks high among the factors causing teachers to leave our shores. This area needs urgent government attention in order for the education system to retain its best and brightest.

Additionally, the methods used to conduct appraisals are another source of discontent as many teachers have expressed the view that greater transparency and creativity can be applied.

Singapore is undoubtedly among the top-performing countries as far as education outcomes are concerned. Singapore uses the Enhanced Performance Management System (EPMS) to conduct annual teacher evaluations. EPMS assesses teachers’ performance based on 16 different competencies, including their work in the classroom and their interaction with the greater school community. The process of teacher evaluation is a structured process in Singapore.

Teachers first conduct a self-appraisal and then supervisors evaluate them against the EPMS. These evaluations are qualitative and consist of written feedback rather than numeric scores of specific indicators. Teachers base their professional development plans on EPMS feedback. In Singapore, principals, alongside the school staff developer and the cluster superintendent, co-construct a Current Estimated Potential for each teacher using the results of the EPMS. This estimate, or snapshot of the teacher’s short-term career trajectory, is shared with the teacher and used to help him or her articulate career goals.

Teachers can also earn rewards based on EPMS results, including honours and salary bonuses. The education ministry in Singapore also selects teachers for awards and recognition at the national level. It is not always about money.

A culture of appreciation and empathy goes a far way in the employer/employee relationship. Governments need to yield to the clarion call to invest more in teachers, a call which is being echoed across all geographical boundaries.

According to former US governor of Oklahoma Brad Henry, “No other investment yields as great a return as the investment in education. An educated workforce is the foundation of every community and the future of every economy.”

Wayne Campbell

waykam@yahoo.com