JTA joins global push for increased education funding amid teacher shortage

The Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) has joined Education International’s (EI) global Go Public! Fund Education campaign, aimed at securing greater investment in education and addressing the global teacher shortage.

With 44 million teachers needed by 2030 to achieve universal primary and secondary education, the initiative seeks to rally governments, intergovernmental organisations, the private sector, and parents to prioritise education funding.

JTA President Dr Mark Smith described the campaign, launched regionally two years ago, as “an urgent cry” to recognise education as a catalyst for national and global development, particularly in developing countries.

EI, a federation representing over 32 million teachers from 383 organisations in 178 countries, is working to tackle the teacher-shortage crisis. According to UNESCO, 44 million new teachers are required by 2030, including 3.2 million for Latin America and the Caribbean and 4.8 million for Europe and the United States.

Smith noted that the shortage in Europe and North America directly impacts Jamaica, as these regions frequently recruit Jamaican educators.

“The 3.2 million needed in Latin America and the Caribbean is mostly within Latin America, where the language barrier prevents them from targeting our teachers. However, Europe and North America actively recruit Jamaican teachers,” he told The Gleaner.

Jamaican teachers have been sought after by the United States and the United Kingdom for decades. In 2023 alone, 791 teachers left Jamaica for the US, and over 500 migrated to the UK.

FUNDING GAPS AND THE TEACHER EXODUS

EI attributes the global teacher-shortage to chronic underfunding of education, leading to low salaries, excessive workloads, student discipline challenges, and burdensome administrative tasks. These conditions drive teachers to migrate in search of better opportunities.

“We cannot continue haemorrhaging that number of teachers without a significant impact on our ability to train human capital,” Smith warned.

He criticised successive Jamaican governments for failing to prioritise education investment, particularly in a crucial election year.

“My concern is that neither political party has presented a strategic plan for human capital development. There’s no version of a successful Jamaica that doesn’t have education at its core,” Smith stated.

Smith indicated that the JTA would intensify its advocacy efforts by April, aiming to create a national movement for education funding.

EI campaign manager Angelo Gavrielatos, speaking at last week’s local campaign launch, stressed the urgent need to attract young people to the teaching profession.

“The teacher-shortage crisis is driven by decades of under-investment, leading to an over-worked, under-paid, and under-valued profession. This has resulted in a mass exodus of teachers and a sharp decline in the number of people entering the field,” Gavrielatos said.

He reaffirmed EI’s commitment to ensuring that all students, regardless of location, are taught by qualified teachers.

carl.gilchrist@gleanerjm.com