JTA president-elect warns teachers to mobilise against 'dangerous' JTC bill

WESTERN BUREAU:

La Sonja Harrison, the president-elect of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA), is urging teachers to prepare themselves for renewed opposition to the proposed Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC) Bill, which she has described as “an ever-present danger”. 

According to Harrison, the new bill will leave teachers outnumbered on the governing teaching council, strip accused teachers of pay during investigations, and place too much power in the hands of the minister of education.

"The bill, in its current form, is not in the best interest of teachers," Harrison told educators gathered at the JTA's St James Parish Association Annual General Meeting at the Calvary Baptist Church, in Montego Bay, on Thursday.

Describing the legislation as a continuing threat to the profession, Harrison called for teachers across the island to familiarise themselves with the bill and be prepared to act if called upon by the association.

“The JTC bill, my dear colleagues, remains an ever-present danger. It is critical for teachers to have conversations in your staffrooms. We need you to be au fait (familiar and well informed) with that, so whenever the president says ‘On your mark’, you can be ready, because it is critical," she said.

At the heart of the JTA's concerns is the proposed composition of the teaching council, which Harrison argued could allow non-teachers to dominate decisions affecting teachers.

"We are still having the challenge with the composition of the council," she said. "The quorum, you can't call a meeting and a quorum of 11. It says five of them are registered. That means the other six are not registered, are not licensed."

According to Harrison, it is possible at a meeting with the bare minimum, the quorum, decisions can be taken with the teachers outnumbered.

“You could have a meeting where persons who come to the meeting to establish standards for you and I, that is non-teachers who make those decisions. Anything can go."

Drawing comparisons with other professions, Harrison questioned why individuals outside the teaching profession should be empowered to determine standards for educators.

"We cannot go and tell the doctor how to do the business of doctoring. How is it persons want to come and tell teachers how to teach?” she said, expressing frustration that experienced teachers with decades of experience will not be properly valued as their expertise would be ignored. 

To that end, Harrison said the JTA remains adamant that teachers should be in the majority on the council.

"We must continue to lobby that no less than 70 per cent, 75 per cent of that council need to be teachers," she declared, while also calling for direct representation from the JTA.

"Based on how we see the choosing of the licensed, registered and unlicensed teachers, the minister (of education) has a lot of power," she said, while noting that her concerns were not politically motivated.

"This is not a political divide. Whomever takes government, whoever is in government, that minister who is in charge of education will have a lot of power," she said.

According to Harrison, another major concern involves disciplinary procedures proposed under the legislation. She argued that teachers accused of misconduct could face simultaneous investigations by both the teaching council and school authorities.

"Anybody can lodge an allegation against you at the council as well as at your school board at the same time," she said. "You can be under investigation by two different entities at the same time.                       "Currently, the code tells you that if an allegation is brought against the teacher, we have a system, a grievance process," she explained. "The code establishes that from the start of the investigation to the conclusion... it should take no more than nine months."

Harrison also spoke to the issue regarding remuneration during investigations.

“You know what the current thing is saying? You're not getting no pay. They suspend your licence immediately and then they send you off with no pay," she said.

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