Mayne says education funding needs wider national support

State Minister for Finance Zavia Mayne says Jamaica will need more than central government spending to meet the education system's financial demands.

Mayne delivered the message today at the Jamaica Teachers' Association's "Go Public! Fund Education" national forum, where he represented Finance Minister Fayval Williams. He said financial strain remains a serious challenge for education and is helping to push teachers toward other countries that pay better salaries.

While accepting that the sector requires more money, Mayne said the answer must include a wider pool of contributors, smarter use of available resources and firmer expectations about the value produced by education investment. He also described the "Go Public, Fund Education" campaign as important, saying the forum brings stakeholders together around the need to put education financing higher on the agenda.