Cuban teachers coming

TWO weeks before the start of the new academic year, principals and school boards are in a scramble to replace teachers who have either been recruited to the UK, to the New York education system and other countries or have just indicated that they are leaving their jobs.

Minister of Education, Burchell Whiteman is assuring the public that the Ministry is working steadfastly to fill any vacancies.

A batch of 20 Cuban teachers are expected to enter the island next week to take up posts.

Senator Whiteman reiterated that the recruitment was part of a bilateral agreement with Cuba and was not a means to replace the expertise of available local teachers.

The Cuban teachers will be teaching mathematics, sciences and some language teaching, some of the vacancies left by an estimated 400 teachers, who have asked for status letters indicating that they are leaving or thinking of leaving their job.

Some 300 Jamaican teachers have already left the island to take up posts in the New York educational system and Mr. Whiteman also said that the total number of vacancies was still unclear as others have gone to United Kingdom, Canada, Turks and Caicos, Cayman and other countries. There may also be a chance that some teachers will wait until schools actually open to declare their intentions, a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) release explained.

Schools are also now considering options such as hiring part-time teachers, requesting that teachers carry out duties across shift and using retired teachers and according to the JIS release, the Ministry has also been receiving applications from students coming out of colleges and universities as well as retired teachers.

The information I have at this time is that the process has been going well, Senator Whiteman told JIS news.

The exodus of the teachers is high on the agenda when the 37th Annual Conference of the Jamaica Teachers` Association (JTA) starts at the Renaissance Jamaica Grande resort, in Ocho Rios, this morning.

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