Look beyond teacher migration

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The conversation about teacher migration may be missing an important part of the story. I recently participated in an orientation for new teachers and what struck me was how many of the participants were teachers who had resigned from other schools. I also know many teachers who have left one school and taken up positions at another.

This raises an important question: Are we looking closely enough at teacher mobility within Jamaica?

When a teacher resigns, it is easy to assume that the person is leaving the profession or migrating overseas. But some teachers are moving to schools for better prospects. Teachers who invest in advanced degrees can understandably become frustrated when those qualifications do not bring meaningful financial or professional recognition. When a teacher feels that there is little room for advancement in one institution, another school offering a better environment may become an attractive alternative.

Some schools appear to understand this new reality and are positioning themselves to attract experienced and highly qualified teachers. In effect, schools are increasingly competing for talent that already exists.

Teachers should be free to pursue better professional opportunities. But it does mean that the discussion about teacher retention needs to go beyond the question of how many teachers are leaving Jamaica. We should also be asking: Why are teachers leaving particular schools? What are other schools doing differently? And, what can be learned from where teachers choose to go?

If we want to retain our best educators, perhaps we need to stop looking only at the border and start looking more closely at what is happening within our own education system.

KERRON ELLIOT