Teachers under undue stress, says new JTA boss
Published:Wednesday | August 18, 2021 | 12:06 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Winston Smith, the newly installed president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), said that teachers should not be blamed when the education sector is hit with challenges, as this adds to the mental distress that educators have to endure.
In his inaugural address on Monday, during the JTA’s 57th annual conference in Trelawny, Smith said that the COVID-19 pandemic’s restrictions on education while juggling the other aspects of their lives is taking a toll on teachers.
“Here in Jamaica. Our education system is facing a battering, and as always, teachers are the ones who suffer the greatest portion of the blame when things are not going right in the sector. An issue we must take into consideration is that of the mental health of our teachers … the teachers are under severe stress as a result of this COVID-19 pandemic,” said Smith.
The new JTA boss also pointed to the organisation’s refusal of the Government’s recent 2.5 per cent wage increase offer as an example of the lack of appreciation being shown to teachers.
“This 2.5 per cent offer has now caused a frenzy in the media, as teachers are depicted as sitting at home and doing nothing but collecting a hefty salary,” said Smith. “This further diminishes our worth as we are painted as lazy, money-grabbing idlers who are devoid of conscience, but this is far from the truth.”
The danger of Jamaica’s teachers falling victim to stress previously arose in 2019 when then-JTA President Dr Garth Anderson urged educators to take advantage of whatever counselling services they may have available so as not to take their frustration out on students.
At that time, teachers said that they were not aware of any organisation, including the JTA, providing counselling or other means of care for them.
Last May, Dr Carlos Vargas Tamez, chief of the Unit of Teacher Development in the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, advised that teachers should seek support from peers or specialised professionals before providing support for students.