By Damion Mitchell, Staff Reporter
Brown: I am one of those simple persons but I am a powerful woman, I am going to lead this association. - Ricardo Makyn / Staff Photographer
OF THE 36 presidents who have led the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) since its inception 40 years ago, only eight have been females, but Patricia Brown is confident that she will increase this number to nine for the organisation's 2005/06 administrative year.
Ms. Brown, 40, the principal of the Bloxburgh All-Age and Infant School in St. Andrew since 2000, has been an educator for 20 years.
"I am one of those simple persons but I am a powerful woman, I am going to lead this association," she told The Gleaner yesterday.
Since 1995, she has been actively involved in the JTA, sitting on several of its committees and also serving as president of the Kingston Parish Association and the East Kingston District Association - a position she currently holds.
At the top of her agenda, if elected JTA president, is the need to continue to advocate for better salaries and conditions of service for teachers. "Until we can get to that point where we can economically empower ourselves, we will not see all the benefits of our labour," she said.
Ms. Brown is also very concerned about the level of indiscipline in schools. "It is really terrible out there and it is really getting to us. We see, we hear, we feel and nobody experiences the trauma like teachers so we must deal with it right now," she said in a commanding tone.
According to her, the JTA must develop a policy position with regards to the issue of violence in schools and not merely provide comments on this distress in the education system.
Another critical proposal as president is to lobby for the children of teachers to be granted government loans for education. She said many teachers who were seeking to further their education found it especially difficult to fund their children's tertiary education at the same time.
Turning to another issue, she said while the JTA had its strengths, there was still need for the association to ensure that more teachers are included in its decision-making processes. "It is my wish that we will realise how powerful an organisation we are, but until we can realise that we must speak in one voice, we will not get to where we want to go."
Ms. Brown further noted that with the rapid increase in knowledge, there was no room for complacency in the leadership of JTA, saying, "Whoever heads the organisation must be at the top of his/her field, he/she must be exposed in order to lead the organisation."
Today, The Gleaner presents the final of a five-part series of features on the candidates contesting the 2004/05 Jamaica Teachers' Association's president-elect vote slated for June 21 to 25.
Top 10 goals if elected as JTA president
To continue to work for better salaries and conditions of service for teachers and, specifically, to prevent loss of existing relationship with other workers within the public sector.
To seek to improve the conditions of all schools, with special emphasis on multi-grade schools.
To advocate for at least one senior teacher in all schools.
To point teachers to the opportunities available for studying, thus enhancing their knowledge base and expertise within the classroom.
To guide teachers in creating opportunities within the wider community for wealth development through the assistance of the Economic Services Department and the private sector.
To establish and strengthen the Crisis Response Teams in all parishes to provide greater support for teachers and schools.
To seek to safeguard the security of tenure within the existing economic conditions within the country.
To lobby for teachers' children to benefit more from the education system.
To lobby for concessions to be given to teachers who study at public tertiary institutions in our schools.
To work with community leaders, non-government organisations and PTAs in tackling indiscipline within our schools.
