The 19 Cuban teachers were all smiles as they arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, yesterday. The teachers were recruited under the Jamaica/Cuba Cooperation Programme and will be placed in mostly rural primary and secondary schools across the island. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

Nineteen Cuban teachers arrived in Jamaica yesterday, prior to the start of the new academic year and despite the threat posed to both islands by a weakened 'Ernesto'.

The teachers, nine men and 10 women, landed at the Norman Manley International Airport at 2:30 yesterday afternoon as part of the Jamaica/Cuba Cooperation Programme.

Their arrival brings to 39, the number of Cuban teachers recruited to the island since 1997 when the programme began.

The group comprises experienced educators, mainly in the field of Spanish. They are to be employed to the Government for two years. It is not clear how much they will be paid, but The Gleaner was told their salaries would be similar to local teachers with the same level of experience and qualification.

Senior education officer and co-ordinator for secondary schools, Monica Walters, who was there to greet the Cubans, said most of them would be placed in rural primary and secondary schools. The majority will be employed to schools in the Region Six area, where Government is spending several million dollars to construct classroom spaces for this year's high number of GSAT achievers.

Region Six comprises St. Catherine and Clarendon. Nine of them will be placed in primary schools as part of a Government pilot project.

Barbara Nicolas, an educator with 29 years of experience and spokes person for the group, said the teachers were all delighted to be in Jamaica and were looking forward to the experience.

"We are here to teach, but we are here to learn from you as well, so we are hoping that this will be a learning experience," she said.