JTA head Mark Malabver urges tighter rules for PATH parents to boost school engagement

Mark Malabver, who leads the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), wants parents of children on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) held to a higher standard of responsibility.

In an interview with IRIE FM News, Malabver said a number of schools—especially those where PATH beneficiaries make up a large share of the roll—are seeing weak turnout and limited day-to-day contact from guardians. He stressed that pupils on the programme are not the problem; rather, he pointed to parents who rarely show up or take part in what happens at school.

Malabver argued that PATH should come with firmer requirements, among them compulsory involvement by parents in school-led activities and initiatives. He also linked the call to wider pressures on campuses, noting that as misconduct and violent episodes among students increase, every school would benefit from stronger structures to draw parents in and keep them engaged.