JTA deputy urges teachers to author Jamaican classroom textbooks

Clayton Hall, deputy general secretary of the Jamaica Teachers' Association, wants educators to play a more direct role in shaping Jamaica's school system by writing the textbooks placed before students.

Hall said classroom teachers already have the practical knowledge and professional skill to create strong learning material. He also pointed to their right to benefit from intellectual property developed through their work in education.

"I have a dream that in the very near future there will be no books on our textbook list that are not authored by a teacher," Hall told the JTA's St James Parish Association Annual General Meeting on Thursday in Montego Bay.

He said teachers often spot mistakes in texts, recommend corrections and suggest better ways to present content, but those contributions do not usually bring them any financial return.

"When books are written and brought into our classrooms, we assist by pointing out where the errors are and what ought to be there. In essence, we co-author the book, but we don't collect from it," he said.

Hall encouraged educators to begin writing books for the subjects and grade levels they know best. He said the JTA's publishing house can assist teachers who want to turn their classroom ideas into products for the market.

The JTA official also used the forum to speak about teachers' mental health. He warned that long periods of pressure can take a toll not only on educators, but also on their households.

Hall urged teachers to pay attention to warning signs of strain and to act early when stress starts building.

"There are times when we go through situations of high stress, and we must all know what our treatment is," he said. "If you work in a stressful environment and take it home and make home a stressful environment, you are burning your candle from both ends."

He further challenged teachers to be deliberate about creating wealth, saying financial stability is not only for people who are already rich. Hall advised them to control spending, be cautious about putting too much money into assets that lose value, including costly motor vehicles, and place greater focus on assets that can earn income and appreciate.

"There is no place to start like now, and there is no more money you will have than you have now unless you do something about it," Hall said, encouraging teachers to consider property and other income-producing investments as part of a plan for lasting financial security.