GRANVILLE, St James — Principal of Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College, Ricardo Bennett is calling on the Government to provide more financial assistance to teachers in training, a move which he believes may stop at least some of them from leaving for jobs overseas.

He is hoping to see a mixture of financial support and improved working conditions.

“What we’re asking — and we’re making this current clarion call — is that more assistance be provided — whether through scholarships, through grants, bursaries — for persons who want to study. And we are saying here at Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College: ‘Once we are given the opportunity to meet that demand, we will respond, we will train. Once they have a desire to be trained we will open up our gates, our doors, our classrooms, our lecture rooms to provide that training,’ ” stated Bennett.

“We have been doing it for almost 50 years and we stand on the Sam Sharpe brand — something that we are quite proud of. We believe that, going into the next 50 years, we will continue to lift that banner quite high,” added the principal.

Bennett’s comments came on Monday on the sidelines of a media launch for the college’s 50th anniversary. He was responding to a question from the Jamaica Observer about the long-running problem of teacher migration. The issue was one of the foremost topics raised at the Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s (JTA) 60th Annual Conference held in August. The level of remuneration at the local level has long been a concern for teachers, and stakeholders have warned that Jamaica cannot compete solely on price.

On Monday the Sam Sharpe Teacher’s College principal, who conceded that some teachers will leave no matter what support is provided, gave often-cited steps the Government can take to retain some of them locally.

“We must respond financially as it relates to compensation. We must respond as it relates to better working conditions, more resources for our institutions, training. And, we believe that teachers need to feel valued. So, the whole matter of responding to the social needs and concerns, emotional needs also, I believe that what we want to see and what the teachers want to see is a government that really, really cares about those who serve — right across our classrooms, across all levels, early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary,” Bennett said.