Brown’s Town High: three resignations, three vacancies to fill
Published:Tuesday | August 30, 2022 | 12:06 AMCarl Gilchrist/Gleaner Writer
Three teachers have resigned their posts at Brown’s Town High School in St Ann, which have since been filled. However, three vacancies still remain at the institution, according to principal Alfred Thomas.
“We would have had three resignations thus far, two mathematics and one English teacher, and we’re hoping that it stays that way ... we’re not affected by resignations that I know some of my colleague principals are facing,” Thomas told The Gleaner.
“Thankfully, we have managed to fill all three posts. For the upcoming year, we only have three posts that are yet to be filled, one social studies and history, one social studies and religious education, and one for music education or drama; we will amend our curriculum depending on what we get.”
Two of the vacancies were created as teachers took up vacation leave, while the music teacher post has been vacant for a year.
Thomas said a past student with a degree in music education from Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts had applied and was accepted to fill the post. However, a few weeks later, he informed the school that he was unable to take up the offer, as he was part of a band that would be going on tour.
Meanwhile, Thomas is of the view that the real issue causing the crisis is not the resignation and/or migration of teachers but rather, the inability to recruit others into the system.
He blamed this on the low number of teachers, especially for the secondary level, the training institutions are putting out.
He explained: “Of 947 persons coming out of teacher-training institutions, there are only eight : teachers for chemistry and, I think, seven teachers for physics. So if you look at the 167 high schools, if you look at teachers for physics and chemistry who may have gotten their vacation leave and will not be here for September, along with physics and chemistry teachers, who are being heavily recruited elsewhere; if we have more than 15 of those posts available, we are going to have a deficiency, and that is why we’re having the challenge.”
“Industrial technology is a serious area,” he added. “We have the ministry offering scholarships; only 17 students took up the scholarships. My last check is that we have between eight to 10 schools who are searching for mechanical technology teachers.”
With the new academic year just a few days away, plans are on in earnest to get the school ready.