Dear Editor,

Much is being said about teachers and higher wages. Both sides of the debate are welcome for civil discourse.

Let us not murky the terms of reference to only monetary compensation as this belittles the confines of a teaching career. However, let it be known that we will be here again in a few years if the Government of the day refuses to create appropriate professional development programmes and opportunities for educators. The teachers’ frustration is not only with how much they earn, but moreso includes the overwhelming external factors that impact their ability to function in their field. Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, stated, “Take care of your employees and they will take care of your business.”

Jamaica’s current compensation and salary levels for teachers show only a marginal and short-term relationship with job satisfaction and productivity. In other words, we have amplified the lesser concern of teachers for years, and now it has reached a colossal impediment and pessimistic view that “dem only want more money”.

Let us look at teaching as a business. A citizen goes to college to invest in skills that may give a learner a better understanding of a content or subject area. The teacher graduates as a professional and goes to practise his or her craft. The imminent threat of reflective behaviour within our society has entered the realm of the classroom. This concept is not new to our historical challenges of teaching and learning, but the appropriate investment in the teacher as a skilled professional is either lacking or below average. Hence, educators are required to provide services unrelated to their training. The challenge is that we are cultured to be creative with little resources. “Tun yuh hand mek fashion.” If we ask teachers to carry water in baskets, they may get creative and find ways to carry that water for a day or two, but do we expect them to willingly carry it for years?

Recently the banking sector has been hit with automated teller machine (ATM) robberies and the shooting of guards carrying out their duties to make financial transactions efficient. The Jamaica Bankers Association stated that this would impact the delivery of services as the increase in crime is affecting business operations. The public may be inconvenienced as the banks find new ways to strategically provide citizens with safe and reliable services. Same with the delivery of a lesson when impacted by forces that impedes the objectives.

The external factors in education are affecting the delivery of instructional practices. UNESCO defines teachers’ working conditions as a broad set of environmental characteristics relating to teachers’ preparation, resources, and support in schools. It is critical that we shift the conversation from increased salary to increasing investment in the teacher.

Dr Oniel Tobias

onieltobias@gmail.com