WESTMORELAND, Jamaica— President of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Leighton Johnson is appealing to the nation’s educators to exercise a greater level of caution, as they are deemed vital to the society.

His comments came on the heels of the passing of Nichoy Briscoe, electrical technology teacher at Nain High School.

The St Elizabeth-based educator succumbed to injuries on Monday following a motorcycle accident weeks ago.

READ: Nain High teacher dies two weeks after bike crash in St Elizabeth

“We just want to encourage them as best as possible to take the necessary steps to ensure that they are as well as possible. And also to encourage all our colleagues that in whatever they do they must exercise the greatest level of care and precaution in all that they do because the nation needs them,” Johnson urged, noting that the sector plays a vital role in  holding the society together.

Johnson said he is saddened by the passing of the 27-year-old educator.

“The JTA is really saddened by the passing of yet another one of our members; a member from Nain High School who succumbed to his injuries after being involved in an accident,” he said.

With five teachers passing in that parish in recent months, Johnson said the parish has been rocked by a series of deaths.

“St Elizabeth has been reeling from a series of death of educators and from the JTA standpoint, we just continue to encounter support and commiserate with the school families as well as the immediate families and friends of our latest colleagues as well as those who have died in the past,” he bemoaned.

He also stressed that their health is their responsibility.

“We also want to continue to remind our colleagues that it is very important for them to take care of their physical and mental well-being. It is their responsibility and they have a responsibility of looking out and looking after their physical and mental wellness and health,” Johnson said.

He continued: “ We are a sector that continues to hold our society together therefore it is urgent for us to ensure that as we go about our daily activities or lives that we will do what is required to maintain good health to be as safe as possible and continue to contribute to the development of the country.”

He further revealed that besides the Sagicor health insurance plan for educators, the JTA has a ‘Critical Illness Initiative’ that funds teachers with a critical illness and other sickness.

-Kimberley Peddie