Dear Editor,
The clash between the minister of education and the Jamaica Teachers' Association must not be allowed to obscure the core issue — the needed transformation of education in Jamaica. The Jamaica Civil Society Coalition considers the plan put forward by Minister Ronnie Thwaites in his presentation to Parliament to be extremely impressive; both in its comprehensive detail and in its courageous thrust for change.
It is all the more remarkable set beside the earlier $5b extracted from the National Housing Trust by the PJ Patterson Government for an Education Fund that was precisely to bring about a transformation. The state of present-day education makes very clear the limited effect that those scarce resources actually had on curbing the inefficiencies and bringing about systemic change.
The JTA, for its part, is legitimately defensive of genuine union rights. We assume that dialogue with the relevant government ministries will soon resolve all legitimate concerns.
However, after the outrageous remarks by two former presidents, who displayed a deeply offensive arrogance, the JTA has a long way to go to regain public respect. We have heard too little about teachers' share of the responsibility for the state of education in the schools in their care; too little also about their commitment to the country in its present fiscal and production crisis. Teachers should waste no time setting these priorities in place.
Jamaica Civil Society Coalition
2 Fagan Avenue, Kingston 8
Jamaicacsc@gmail.com
Focus on the issue, JTA
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The clash between the minister of education and the Jamaica Teachers' Association must not be allowed to obscure the core issue — the needed transformation of education in Jamaica. The Jamaica Civil Society Coalition considers the plan put forward by Minister Ronnie Thwaites in his presentation to Parliament to be extremely impressive; both in its comprehensive detail and in its courageous thrust for change.
It is all the more remarkable set beside the earlier $5b extracted from the National Housing Trust by the PJ Patterson Government for an Education Fund that was precisely to bring about a transformation. The state of present-day education makes very clear the limited effect that those scarce resources actually had on curbing the inefficiencies and bringing about systemic change.
The JTA, for its part, is legitimately defensive of genuine union rights. We assume that dialogue with the relevant government ministries will soon resolve all legitimate concerns.
However, after the outrageous remarks by two former presidents, who displayed a deeply offensive arrogance, the JTA has a long way to go to regain public respect. We have heard too little about teachers' share of the responsibility for the state of education in the schools in their care; too little also about their commitment to the country in its present fiscal and production crisis. Teachers should waste no time setting these priorities in place.
Jamaica Civil Society Coalition
2 Fagan Avenue, Kingston 8
Jamaicacsc@gmail.com
Focus on the issue, JTA
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