KINGSTON, Jamaica – With the beginning of the new academic year set for Monday, September 4, Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams on Wednesday indicated that since her last update on August 18, 400 more teachers have resigned.

“The last time I did [speak about the number of resignations] was on August 18. At that time, I presented that for the period of January to September 2022, there were 1,538 resignations and for the period January to September 2023, there were 427…If we compare for the same period January to September as of yesterday, the total would be 854, a decline of 44 per cent in what we saw in the January to September 2022,” Minister Williams said.

She added that 25,000 teachers still remain in the system.

She was addressing a Post Cabinet Press Briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday.

Last month, Williams moved to allay fears of a shortage of teachers in the classrooms come September

According to Williams, though the number of teachers who have resigned so far this year is much lower than last year, hundreds of teachers have completed their training and are now ready to join the workforce.

Williams was responding to reports that several schools have been placing advertisements for teachers in recent weeks.

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Williams added that the Ministry has implemented a job portal, making it easier for schools to advertise the positions that are vacant and for teachers, who are looking to enter the system, to have access to the necessary information.

“Ahead of the school year, obviously getting notice here, a few days before schools open, I can certainly understand the uncertainty of our principals or boards across Jamaica and that is why at least two or three weeks ago we sent to our schools different strategies to help them use to help with the recruitment process. Boards were given pre-approval to make early recruitment decisions,” she said.

“They were given approval to engage part-time teachers, to engage retired teachers, pre-trained graduates in final year, student teachers to redeploy underutilised staff to merge small classes, to use blocked timetable approach, to increase the use of information communication technology in the classroom and we have providers who have been piloting projects…,” Williams noted.

However, she is urging teachers to adhere to the legal requirements for resignation, highlighted in Section 54 of the Regulation Act of 1980.

“Last night, I was listening to an interview on Nationwide with the new president of the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA) and he admitted that the age-old practice of teachers resigning with no notice is unprofessional, and I agree with him. In fact, it should be known that there is a legal requirement for teachers who are permanent in the system to give three months’ notice. And for those who hold temporary, acting or provisional positions – to give one month notice,” she said.

“I want to stress that teachers who give three months’ notice and continue to work, of course they will be paid, they will not be denied their payment. If that happened some long, long ago in the past, that is not happening now. So, we’re asking teachers who make their personal decisions to resign to be mindful of the legal requirement that’s here,” Williams continued.