THE Government is being pressed to provide “fair compensation of school shadows” in Jamaica’s public education system, with some trained classroom aides reportedly earning less than the minimum wage.

The call, mounted on the Jamaica House Petition online portal on April 1 this year, simply states, “We, the undersigned, respectfully and urgently call on the Government of Jamaica to intervene on behalf of school shadows who support students with disabilities across our public education system.”

A shadow — also called a shadow teacher or classroom aide — is a trained individual who provides one-on-one support in classrooms to children and adolescents with special needs to help in the development of their academic, social, and behavioural skills in mainstream classrooms. A shadow’s duties include: helping with learning tasks tailored to the child’s needs, supporting emotional and behavioural challenges, encouraging social interaction with classmates, and promoting independence — not dependence — over time.

However the petitioners, in pointing out that “school shadows play a critical role in ensuring inclusive education by assisting vulnerable students to access learning, remain safe, and participate meaningfully in school life”, insist that the sacrifices of shadows to “obtain enhanced qualifications… often at their own expense” have been disregarded.

“Despite meeting these increased professional requirements, many school shadows continue to earn wages below the national minimum wage. This situation is unjust, unsustainable, and inconsistent with Jamaica’s labour laws and commitment to equity in education,” the petitioners declared.

Last month the Government announced that effective July 1, 2026, the country’s national minimum wage will increase to $17,000 per 40-hour workweek, up from $16,000.

“Required to be qualified, [yet] paid below minimum wage, this must change,” the petitioners stated further.

In 2024 then Education Minister Fayval Williams said there were approximately 500 shadows in the system and that improved compensation was an area of focus by the ministry.

Shadow teachers are provided through the ministry’s Special Education Unit. It provides technical support that encompasses education for students aged three to 21 years with various special needs, including students who are deaf or are afflicted with other hearing impairments; students who are blind or have visual impairment; students with learning disabilities, intellectual disability, emotional and behavioural disorders, and autism; as well as students who are gifted and talented.

In a Jamaica Observer interview in 2022, then Jamaica Independent Schools’ Association (JISA) President Dr Andre Dyer said some parents, in footing the costs on their own, were paying sums of between $30,000 and $90,000 per month depending on the qualifications of the shadow while some paid as low as $15,000 if the school subsidised.

The increased need for shadow teachers for both private and public schools was previously highlighted with the two-year suspension of face-to-face classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The petition, which is yet to receive any signatures, comes to a close on July 1 this year.

According to the Petition Policy, any Jamaican citizen can create or sign a petition. To qualify for review a petition must get 15,000 signatures within 40 days. If it meets agreed upon standards, the Office of the Prime Minister will issue an official response.

All petitions are reviewed before being published on the portal. If they do not meet the terms of participation, they are not published.