While Jasper Lawrence, the chief education officer, in the Ministry of Education maintains that vacancies for high and primary schools teachers rarely exceed 60 each year, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security's September 2008 survey shows that teaching has been the single greatest area of labour demand in Jamaica with advertisements for vacancies running in the hundreds each year. At the same time, the education ministry official says experienced teachers are the ones needed most.
An analysis of the demand for specific jobs and occupational groups for the period May 1, 2002 to June 30, 2008, by category, showed listed job openings for teachers as constituting one of the leading areas of career opportunity in the market.
Unexplained
Lorraine Salmon, senior labour market analyst with the Ministry of Labour, says while some vacancies may have been for short periods, the demand for teachers has been unusually high since 2003.
"What we are seeing lately is unexplained, except that the sector may be affected by significant migration to the United States, United Kingdom, Africa and Caribbean islands including Turks and Caicos and Cayman," she explained.
"The demand for teachers internationally far exceeds availability. Locally, demand falls in October to March and shoots back up in June," the labour analyst pointed out.
But Jasper Lawrence said shortages were in fact exacerbated by the recruitment of teachers by overseas agencies. "This is now on the decline," he added.
According to the education ministry official, any shortage will be for the short term, especially with the latest salary agreement between the government and the Jamaica Teachers' Association, which should increase public sector teachers' pay to within eighty per cent of what their counterparts in private institutions receive.
Whatever the true nature of the shortage, Jasper Lawrence admits that education, as a sector, is short of experienced teachers.
"What principals may talk about is the lack of experienced teachers. There is a surplus of trainees from the colleges and universities, but the more experienced teachers are dwindling."
In response to this situation, Lawrence noted that the Ministry of Education has been able to recruit over 50 mathematics specialists, who have been strategically deployed within the school system to improve the standard of teaching in the subject.
"We have been using the more experienced to coach the young."
Lawrence, a former teacher, said, "I consider teaching to be one of the most rewarding careers, one that, if I had to start all over again, I would do once more. You get a real good feeling which has nothing to do with money at all."
Raise the standard
The chief education officer, who once taught mathematics and science, then became a school principal before working for the Ministry, added that colleges and universities are now reporting that they are getting more qualified applicants.
"That is good. It means that we will be able to raise the standard. The minimum goal is to have a bachelors degree with professional certification as well."
The MICO University College, he pointed out, offers several degree programmes and teacher training colleges offer at least one degree in conjunction with other tertiary groups.
The ministry has also established in all teacher training colleges, the Consortium of Teacher Education (CITE) programme, an arrangement which will see the best teachers delivering courses at various institutions, irrespective of where they are employed.
avia.ustanny@gleanerjm.com
MIND leadership development conference
The public sector training arm, the Management Institute for National Development (MIND) will stage a leadership development conference today, March 18, and tomorrow, March 19 at the Hilton Kingston hotel.
Topics include:
Engineering performance
Authentic leadership
Strengthening the heart of good leadership
Make the most of your strengths
Talent management
Essential elements of leadership development
Fit to lead
Cost: $9,000
Contact: customerservice@ mind.edu.jm
Telephone: 927-1761