Dear Editor,

The release of Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) results is always a turning point for thousands of Jamaican students. Some will celebrate, others will feel disappointed, but all will face the same question: What next?

In a time when career advice is often centred on technology, business, and overseas opportunities, one vital path is too often overlooked: teaching.

I say this as someone who has taught at multiple levels of the system and worked alongside extraordinary educators. Teaching is not merely a job, it is nation-building at its most personal. Every doctor, lawyer, engineer, artist, and business owner was once shaped by a teacher who took the time to invest in his/her growth. Without teachers, every other profession collapses.

Yet in Jamaica we face a worrying shortage of trained teachers, especially in critical subject areas. Too many classrooms are being staffed by underqualified personnel or left with rotating substitutes. The result is predictable: weaker learning outcomes, frustrated students, and a heavier burden on the few teachers who remain.

This is why, as CXC results are released, I urge young people to consider teacher training programmes. These are not dead-end options. The modern teacher is a professional who can advance into leadership roles, specialise in areas such as special education or curriculum design, and even take their skills global. Teacher training also builds transferable skills — communication, critical thinking, problem-solving — that are valuable in any career.

The teaching profession needs fresh energy, innovative ideas, and people who genuinely care about the future of Jamaica. If you have done well in your exams, teaching allows you to use your talents to open doors for others. If your results were not as strong as you hoped, teacher training can still be your stepping stone to a respected and rewarding career.

We cannot build a better Jamaica without better schools, and we cannot have better schools without more well-trained teachers. As you plan your next step, think beyond the popular choices. The chalkboard (now smart board) may not seem glamorous, but it is where tomorrow’s leaders are born.

Leroy Fearon Jr

Lecturer

leroyfearon85@gmail.com