By Petrina Francis, Education Reporter
Wentworth Gabbidon (left), president of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA), greets William Madisha, president of the South Africa Democratic Teachers' Union, in the presence of Sadie Comrie, a past president of the JTA. They were at yesterday's opening session of the JTA's annual conference at the Renaissance Jamaica Grande in Ocho Rios, St. Ann. - Norman Grindley /Staff Photographer
OCHO RIOS, St. Ann:
THE JAMAICA Teachers' Association (JTA) yesterday rejected a proposal by a Government-appointed task force to link teachers' pay to their performance, and alerted delegates to be prepared to take protest action if Government proceeds to implement the measure.
Although the report of the education task force is not yet public, Dr. Adolph Cameron, JTA secretary-general, announced the association's opposition to the controversial recommendation during the 40th annual conference being held at the Renaissance Jamaica Grande Hotel in Ocho Rios.
The JTA had earlier rejected the proposal for introducing performance-based pay but the association had endorsed the suggestion to introduce a performance evaluation instrument, which could assist in weeding out non-performing teachers.
Notwithstanding this position, Education Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson had announced the start of a pilot project to test the concept of performance pay for teachers. The pilot would include the ministry's areas one and five covering Kingston and St. Andrew, Manchester and St. Elizabeth. The core concept of the plan is that those teachers who best achieve agreed criteria in various aspects of the education process will be rewarded with extra pay and, presumably, those who consistently fail will be removed from the system.
PATH OF CONFRONTATION
Under the programme, there will be points earned for extra-curricular activities, professional enhancement, administrative co-operation and the general and genuine interest of teachers in the welfare of their charges.
But, based on comments from Dr. Cameron to conference participants yesterday, the association and the education ministry seem set on a path of confrontation.
Arguing that the Jamaica Union of Teachers (the forerunner to the JTA) came into being because of the government's intention to link performance to pay, Dr. Cameron remarked: "It would be criminal if the association goes back on the 1894 decision that teachers' pay (should not) be linked to performance."
In the meantime, the final decision was made yesterday that Wentworth Gabbidon, outgoing president of the JTA, should assume responsibilities as president until Michael Clarke, president-elect, recovers from illness.
