WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — President of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) La Sonja Harrison says the nation’s educators are in search of solutions for shortfalls in the education system.

Harrison, in addressing a church service at the St George’s Anglican Church in Westmoreland on Sunday, argued that to reach the target, the crafting of a road map is needed. The church service was to mark the start of education week.

“The 2004 task force and Orlando Patterson report 2021 are the most recent evaluations of the existing structure to help us get there. Educators in a tangible way, should and must lead this process and to adopt and dear I amend the expressions of the Governor General His Excellency, Sir Patrick Allen. There is nothing wrong with education that cannot be fixed with that which is right, righteous with education,” Harrison said.

“These solutions must reside within the practitioners while embracing suggestions and participation from stakeholders critical to the process. The business of education demands national attention. All Hands are needed on deck as we work diligently and creatively to this end,” the JTA president added.

According to Harrison, the COVID-19 pandemic provided lessons from which stakeholders of education must learn as well as reflect on. She noted that “inequities plaguing the educational offerings for centuries surfaced like oil in water.”

“The absence of an articulated, circulated philosophy of education continues to be the vain of our existence, even with our best efforts over the years. There must be national discourse and consensus as to what this philosophy ought to look like. It should be purpose-driven in nature, and anchored in the principles reflected in our national pledge and anthem for starters. Subsequent to articulating this philosophy would be the need to monetise the same as fixing the true cost of producing the citizens envisioned by said directive,” said Harrison.

On the other hand, Harrison reiterated an earlier call for the establishment of a technical committee by the Government to deal with several issues affecting the sector, including, discrepancies arising from the compensation review process.

“It is imperative that the Government answers the call made in writing for the establishment of a technical committee where representatives from the union, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Education are at the table to deal with these egregious matters and other anomalies as well as these discrepancies arising from the compensation review,” stated Harrison.

Harrison said the lack of encouragement is having an impact on teachers with leadership roles.

“Encouragement, they say sweet labour. The absence of the same in a tangible way, especially in recent times for some categories, namely the trained graduate with a post of special responsibility is potentially crippling to the system,” stated the JTA president, who noted that the school is an ecosystem.

“These are the middle managers of our education system that holds our schools together. Principals cannot function at their fullest potential. Vision is threatened when demotivated senior teachers exist,” added Harrison.

With these issues in mind, Harrison argued that “to turn a deaf ear could only lead one to conclude that the experienced outcomes were intended.”

The JTA president warned that time is the master of all things.

“The coming days will be telling for the state of our Jamaican classrooms. It must be fixed if at all we are concerned as a nation about the current and future state of education,” stated Harrison.

This year’s education week is being held under the theme: Advancing the Vision: Reigniting the Passion through Equitable and Inclusive Educational Opportunities.

– Anthony Lewis