KINGSTON, Jamaica -A senior member of the clergy has encouraged educators not motivated by the right reasons, to leave the profession, as he likened teaching to the work of a religious ministry.

Speaking at the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) 60th Anniversary church service, Reverend Michael Elliot shared that the vocation of teaching was more than just a job.

“If you are teaching solely for yourself, you are missing God’s will for you. If you are in teaching just to be able to go supermarket and buy bread and butter, you missing the point. Get out of it. Go find something else,” said Elliot.

“But if you are in it for the good of this nation, the good of a life of another student – is it Tarrus Riley who said ‘careful how you treat the little children?’  Tony Rebel, thank you, I glad unno know. Careful how you treat the little children; one might be your doctor, or could be your prime minister, or could be your minister of education – you never know – so careful,” he added.

Elliot further likened the various experiences teachers face in the classroom to that of Jesus Christ’s time on earth, while encouraging educators to persevere.

“The journey of every good, well-meaning teacher reminds me, as I contemplated it, it is sort of what some biblical scholars call a type of the life of Christ. What happened to Jesus? He lived, he suffered, he died and he rose again. Teachers, educators, you are all somewhere in that spectrum,” said Elliot.

“Cause sometimes your life is full of suffering don’t? Oh yeah. Unno give Leighton Johnson a hard time…but though there is suffering, though you may even be crucified by the parents, the teachers or the students, there is a resurrection. And that cycle goes on because your students give you hope nonetheless,” added Elliot.

Despite the myriad of issues facing educators, Elliott noted that it was important for teachers and other stakeholders to remain committed, as he urged a change in perspective.

“Let me pick on the JTA again, your issues are many. Migration of teachers, teachers wanting to just give up – they can’t take it no more. The decline of right morals and standards of behaviour in many of our schools, among students, parents and even teachers. But the empty glass, if we look with the right eyes, what the late Cannon Ernie Gordon say, ‘Easter eyes’, to see the empty glass, the emptiness of life, and say there is hope,” said Elliot.

“And the JTA is one symbol of hope for this nation. Everything don’t go right -we know that – minister don’t treat unno right and unno don’t treat minister right. The problem is not that we buck heads-the issue is how we resolve issues,” added Elliot, who encouraged more conversation among stakeholders as a means of coming up with solutions.

Minister of Education, Fayval Williams and outgoing JTA president, Leighton Johnson, were among other sector stakeholders in attendance at the annual church service held at St Mark’s Anglican Church in Manchester.