Almost 50% jump in teacher-resignations since July

Some 248 public school teachers have resigned their posts since July, a near 50 per cent increase over the figure that Education Minister Fayval Williams gave for the period a week ago. 

Williams gave the updated statistics in a back-to-school press briefing on Thursday. 

On August 22, she said 167 educators had given up their jobs although it's still unclear how many have left for lucrative teaching jobs overseas.  

Teacher-migration has emerged as a major contentious issue over the summer with many principals publicly expressing concerns about how they'll manage when students return for the new school year on September 5. 

Williams today said several of the vacancies have been filled.  

She said 80 per cent of the schools in the ministry's region two (Portland, St. Thomas and St. Mary) have replaced teachers who have resigned.

Williams said Boundbrook Primary School and Port Antonio Primary School are among the institutions that have fully replaced teachers. 

In region four (St.James, Hanover and Westmoreland), 75 per cent of vacancies have been filled, with interviews continuing. 

“We would have given to our principals a number of different strategies to use for recruiting teachers,” Williams said. 

The minister said the options, which included hiring retired teachers and university graduates without teacher-training certification, were discussed with over 900 principals at a virtual meeting last Monday. 

Meanwhile, the education ministry is also looking to launch an online platform to assist teachers who are seeking employment to submit their résumés to schools with vacant positions. 

Teachers have accused Williams of downplaying the migration issue by insisting that there is nothing alarming in the number of teachers leaving. 

The Jamaica Teachers' Association last week released results of its survey of 140 schools showing 600 teachers leaving the classroom for the new school year.

According to the survey, 13 per cent of the teachers who will not return are retired, 43 per cent are resigning, and 44 per cent are on approved leave.

Williams has said 964 newly trained teachers are available to the public school system. 

Approximately 25, 074 teachers were employed by the government in 2021, according to the 2021 Economic and Social Survey published in June. 

- Asha Wilks

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