Teaching council bill could affect school flexibility, says PNP caretaker
KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Jamaica Teaching Council Bill in its current form will cause flexibility issues for teachers and schools, according to the People’s National Party (PNP) caretaker for St James East Central Rushell Reid Knott.
“[It] undermines the ability of principals to lead, to respond to challenges, and to deliver consistent instruction. We must protect students’ learning, and that starts with empowering principals, not tying their hands,” Knott said at a press conference Tuesday.
After more than two decades of deliberations across multiple administrations, the landmark bill – piloted by Education Minister Dr Dana Morrison Dixon – was passed in the Senate last Friday.
Reid Knott pointed to provisions in the Bill which mandated that only registered teachers be allowed to instruct students. She charged that this would affect the assignment of substitute teachers, leading to a potential loss in learning time.
“The JTC bill, as written, will strip school leadership of key tools they’ve long used to manage classes, deal with emergencies, and ensure learning continues when the unexpected happens. There are no temporary exemptions or emergency allowances in this Bill. A principal cannot ask a retired educator, a trained graduate awaiting paperwork, or a volunteer to step in during an emergency, not even for a single day,” she said.
Reid Knott also claimed that the registration and licensing process that teachers would have to go through would make hiring more difficult and extend wait times for applications
“There’s no mechanism for conditional hiring in areas like STEM, special education, or rural communities. And the implication, of course, even when a principal finds a suitable candidate, students wait weeks or months for licensing clearance,” she said.
The former teacher also had issues with the disciplinary process which she said was too wide, and did not mandate the inclusion of principals. The caretaker said principals could lose control over internal conflict resolution, adding that even petty disputes could lead to formal disruptions of staff duties.
She also cautioned that the council could issue subject specific licenses which could pose problems in smaller and rural schools.
In order to address these concerns, Reid Knott maintained that the Bill should be adjusted to allow school leadership to assign temporary substitutes, including licensed graduates or retired teachers for short-term emergencies; create a fast-track approval system for schools facing urgent or persistent shortages; notify principals immediately when a staff member is under investigation with regular updates; consult school leaders before disciplinary actions take effect and screen all complaints for validity before triggering disruptions in schools.
