PRESIDENT of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Leighton Johnson says while the country is in a precarious position with educators migrating in large numbers to other countries to teach, imposing term limits or quotas to boost retention cannot be the solution.

“The position that we are in as a nation is worrying; our teachers have opted to ply their trade in other jurisdictions and what is encouraging is that these jurisdictions find our teachers to be aptly trained, qualified, capable, and competent, and in some regards they exceed the expectations in these jurisdictions. I am not sure how as a nation we can prevent our teachers from taking hold of opportunities that will see them having a better life,” Johnson told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday.

He was responding to a statement issued on Monday by the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) which, in taking note of the rate at which Jamaican educators are being wooed by overseas recruiters, made several suggestions to stem the outflow, among them term limits for overseas employment and a quota system.

Said the new JTA head: “I am not sure we are in agreement to that. I am not sure as a nation we are in a position to enter into an arrangement with our overseas counterparts; it’s an open market and therefore if a teacher chooses to resign from the classroom here, there is absolutely no way our nation can indicate that you can’t go overseas to work.

“We can’t dictate the direction of people’s lives; if you decide to go abroad to make your life better to earn monies to be able to comfortably take care of your families, I do not thinking issuing a term limit will be a solution,” he added.

He further pointed out that teachers who have left the island have not done so with a proviso that they will return to continue in their posts.

“There are no teachers who are working overseas who have not resigned with the exception of those perhaps who are on their eight-month leave and when it expires they have no option but to return to their post or resign. How can we say to a teacher who has resigned that you have only a number of years to go and return to your homeland? Every work permit has a duration, that’s a different matter. But as for the country entering into an agreement with another State to have persons return after a particular length of time, I do not believe that would be in the best interest of anybody,” the JTA head said.

In noting that the suggestion by the NPTAJ was at best proof of their concern, the JTA head said the call for improved remuneration for teachers would be an easier pill to swallow.

“We all are searching for solutions and we appreciate the fact that persons are looking out for the best interest of teachers. I took note that the first call they made was for an improvement in teachers’ salaries; it is an indication that our parents understand the value of teachers and the value of their work and are agreeing with us that teachers must be adequately compensated so they can take care of themselves. Teachers need to stop struggling, teachers need to stop living from hand to mouth, and it is this direction teachers want to go in,” Johnson stated.

He said teachers who have taken up offers to teach overseas when canvassed have indicated that their reasons for leaving were not complex.

“Teachers are enticed by the improved compensation packages and in many regards teachers are being accommodated with their families; with these kinds of offers that our teachers are getting not just from our North American counterparts but from other Caribbean jurisdictions — Cayman and Turks and Caicos Islands. They are opting to go into these areas simply for the improved standard of living. To be able to take care of their families comfortably, to be able to own a home, these things matter to teachers and these are the things they indicate to us are the major factors,” Johnson said.

On Monday, the NPTAJ, in urging the authorities “to move with alacrity in negotiating with our teachers to reconsider leaving in droves”, said to cap the exodus there should be a revisiting of the current remuneration package for teachers, dialogue with the jurisdictions wooing teachers, asking them to agree on a quota system or consider term limits for overseas employment. It further suggested that retired teachers be re-engaged for “attractive offerings” as well as a shift to virtual learning to widen student-teacher contact.

In mid-August, the education ministry said 427 teachers resigned from the local education sector since January. It said 1,538 teachers resigned between January and September last year. Education Minister Fayval Williams in July said there was a 43 per cent reduction in teacher migration this year. In noting that there have been reports and misleading information on social media, Williams emphasised that teachers migrate for personal reasons. Furthermore, in addressing concerns over the number of advertised vacancies in the media, she said not all are permanent positions as some were created because some educators were on leave.