After extensive deliberations by a joint select committee spanning more than three years, the Jamaica Teaching Council bill was yesterday passed by the Senate with 38 amendments.
The far-reaching piece of legislation that is aimed at establishing an improved accountability framework within the education sector while enhancing the status of the teaching profession will now go to the Lower House for debate.
A key feature of the bill is the establishment of the Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC), which will have the responsibility to regulate the sector and issue licences to teachers.
Education Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon, who closed the debate in the Upper House, described the proposed statute as “Jamaica’s bill”, noting that there were significant contributions from all stakeholders.
She said that teachers will be given 24 months to apply for a licence under the new arrangement following the promulgation of the legislation.
According to Senator Morris Dixon, teachers who are already recognised under the Education Act by their existing qualifications will be deemed registered or enrolled under the proposed law.
In his contribution to the debate, Opposition spokesman on education, Damion Crawford, said that education was in a crisis in Jamaica.
He said that only 18 per cent of Jamaican students leaving high schools achieve five subjects, including math and English. He said the United States would not accept 18 per cent of its students receiving passes in the General Educational Development tests.
Crawford also expressed concern that Orlando Patterson’s report on Jamaica’s education sector has not been debated in Parliament. The report was released in 2022.
“If it is important, we should have had a parliamentary debate on it by now,” Crawford insisted.
Morris Dixon agreed with Crawford that there was a crisis in education, but noted that the government was making steps to bring about change.
Noting that she took her role as education minister seriously, Morris Dixon said “the results that we see are not what we want, no one wants the CXC results we saw last year, we have to do better for our children”.
HEAVY PENALTIES
Crawford, who was not a member of the joint select committee who reviewed the bill, shared other concerns he had with the proposed law.
He indicated that the bill appears to be more punitive than supportive to the education sector.
Citing heavy fines and even imprisonment for persons who teach without a licence, Crawford said unlicenced teachers could be slapped with fines of $1.5 million or 12 months in jail for breaching the law. He said the offence of dangerous driving did not carry such a heavy fine.
He also wants the bill to define the term “competence to teach”, noting that a teacher could be denied a licence or renewal of a licence without misconduct, but just on the basis that he or she was not competent to teach.
The Opposition lawmaker argued that outspoken educators and persons in failing schools might be targetted.
“It allows for the sneaking in of the performance-based pay without the discussion of the performance-based pay,” he said.
He also warned that a provision that outlaws teachers from teaching other subjects for which they are licenced might impact some schools that are struggling to find teachers for certain subjects.
“If I am university-educated and licensed to teach accounts, I might be able to fill in for math, and if I am licensed to teach POB I might be able to fill in for OP (Office Administration). This does not allow for this flexibility,” he said.
RAISE PROFILE OF TEACHING
Government senator Kavan Gayle, who was a member of the joint select committee, indicated that while he was sympathetic to some concerns raised by Crawford, lawmakers carried out an extensive review of the legislation and made decisions that would improve the teaching sector.
“It is a bill that is intended to be progressive in nature. The bill represents a comprehensive and progressive response to the needs of the education system,” he said.
In his contribution, government senator Marlon Morgan said the bill is seeking to change the psyche and mindset of those who enter the teaching profession.
According to Morgan, the proposed law which establishes the JTC would raise the profile of teaching in Jamaica.
He said the council was designed to provide support and capacity building to teachers and would not be engaged in the victimisation, recrimination or marginalisation of educators.
