TRAIN FOR EXPORT

Mico University College President Dr Asburn Pinnock is advising the Government to regularise teacher migration by training and exporting the services as an income-earner, amid the challenges facing the sector.

Pinnock’s proposal comes on the heels of Education Minister Fayval Williams’ disclosure this week that 248 public school teachers have resigned their posts since July.

The figure represents a near 50 per cent increase over the 167 figure Williams gave for the period a week ago.

The Jamaica Teachers’ Association and the Opposition People’s National Party have insisted that the number is higher.

In a Gleaner interview on Friday, Pinnock said that the Government should press to retain educators by improving benefits and classroom conditions and seeking to reduce push factors.

But with an increase in demand for the professionals in the United States and the United Kingdom, developed countries with millions of dollars to spend, Pinnock said the Government should also capitalise on the value of the service by training a surplus of teachers.

He said that it is time for the Government to negotiate with its counterparts, and in the case of the US individual states, through diplomatic channels, to ascertain the level of demand, and supply them with human resources.

“Then be compensated for it and those funds can be now pumped back into the education system, where it can alleviate some of the problems that we are hearing that they are having in the schools to find more resources,” Pinnock said.

The president of the largely teacher-training university, which produces on average 350 to 400 educators annually, said the additional benefit is knowing when teachers are leaving the classrooms to better plan for the impact and prevent a crisis.

“The Government could say to the colleges, ‘Increase your numbers’. Each college could train an additional [number] because we know that England wants a certain number of maths and science teachers and we train more than we need so that there is no shortage,” he said.

Additionally, Pinnock said through an edu-tourism programme, Jamaica could become the training ground for foreign teachers.

“If you believe that our product is so good, send them to us and we will train them for you at a cost,” the university head proposed.

He said if the Government regularises the process of teacher migration, there is further opportunity to earn through remittances.

He also said that an exit interview for those leaving could present them with the choice to continue making their National Insurance Scheme and National Housing Trust contributions.

kimone.francis@gleanerjm.com