Teachers call for resignation of advisor to Ed. Minister

[Lazie]

Teachers call for resignation of advisor to Education Minister

A group of teachers in the southern parish St Elizabeth has called for the resignation of Dr. Franklin Johnston, the senior advisor to Education Minister Ronald Thwaites.
The call was made Thursday evening at the half-yearly meeting of the Jamaica Teacher's Association’s (JTA) St Elizabeth Chapter.
The teachers have accused the senior advisor of being out of touch with the education system. The St Elizabeth teachers made the call in the form of a resolution which was unanimously passed. They also called on the education minister to take steps to extricate himself from any advice given by Dr. Johnston.
In debating the resolution, the teachers argued that it was unfair for teachers to be blamed for the failure in the education system, when statistics from the Education Ministry show that 30 per cent of students attending primary schools are malnourished and have irregular attendance.
It was also pointed out that despite talks over the years by successive governments to reduce the teacher-student ratio which goes as high as one teacher to 55 students, nothing has been done.
The teachers concluded that if the Minister doesn't act satisfactorily they will have no alternative but to call upon teachers island wide to evict both the minister and his advisor.

http://www.rjrnewsonline.com/local/t...ation-minister

[Lazie]

Thwaites dismisses calls to sack advisor

Minister of Education, Ronald Thwaites has dismissed calls from public sector teachers for his senior advisor Dr. Franklin Johnston to be fired.
However, he says efforts will be made to address the concerns of members of the Jamaica Teachers' Association, JTA, who have accused Dr. Johnston of being out of touch with the education system.
The teachers have demanded that he be sent packing following a recent newspaper article which he wrote taking issue with their performance.
But in an interview with the RJR News Centre Sunday the Education Minister signalled that his advisor will be staying put.
Mr. Thwaites urged the teachers not to rush to hasty conclusions.
“We must be able to hear other people’s pint of view without extreme solutions,” the Minister urged
The JTA's St. Elizabeth Chapter has warned of strong action if Dr. Johnston is not removed from the post.
Members of the Association have argued that it's unfair for teachers to be blamed for the failure of the education system, when statistics from the Ministry show that 30 per cent of students attending primary schools are malnourished and have irregular attendance.
It was also pointed out that despite talk over the years by successive governments to reduce the teacher-student ratio nothing has been done.

[Assasin]

teachers nuh like nuh change and this bredda gone too public with pon the teachers them.

[MdmeX]

I know a High School Principal who had to read the riot act to some of his teachers recently. Teachers sitting around and not going to their respective classes.

[Assasin]

yeah man the teacher them nuh want no change at all. It takes a strong principal.

To add to that this bredda write some articles calling teachers all kind a names so that make it worst, them nah go budge.

[Islandman]

This is the problem with unionized professions a lot of the time. Hard to fire the bad ones and reward the good ones properly so the whole profession suffers.

[HL]

My views on unions are well known.

Unions for the most part--have out lived their usefullness.

Unions are preventing economic progress in South Africa and lots of other countries....

Lots of teachers (and Principals) in Jamaica are collecting a paycheck for doing nothing . I have seen this first hand.

Don't know the details...but I have a feeling that this advisor is all about making these lazy teachers earn their paychecks. I could be wrong.

[Assasin]

He maybe well intended but as an advise to the minister you don't go outfront and say these things. He is going to meet some real resistance

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...ews/news3.html

Teflon Teachers: Thugs, Thieves Can't Be Fired,was published in the New York Post.

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz2Chwp5C7m

[HL]

The man is speaking the truth:

Lot's of folks get entangle with the process..and ignore the results.

[Islandman]

At the very least they need to be reformed and modernized.

It is a global thing. Unions in Detroit have almost killed the American car industry. New car manufacturing plants like the one BMW built are in the Non-unionized South.

[Assasin]

He maybe talking some truth but you don't walk inna ants nest just so. He would achieve more if he had a softer edge. They are setting to gamg up against him. You can't beat women and old ladies that way and the teaching prefession is full of women.

[HL]

He maybe talking some truth but you don't walk inna ants nest just so. He would achieve more if he had a softer edge. They are setting to gamg up against him. You can't beat women and old ladies that way and the teaching prefession is full of women.

Com'on now Assasin, there are different management styles.

The aim is to rid the country of educational quackery. The bickering and the defense of incompetence is a waste of time. Time to change the status quo. And don't tell me about can't.

[Karl]

So the teachers wish shared responsibility for the failings?

[Karl]

This is the problem with unionized professions a lot of the time. Hard to fire the bad ones and reward the good ones properly so the whole profession suffers.

I think you are too quick to pull the trigger. Surely professional pride would have the teachers looking at the 'failure rate' and decide to 'pull up socks'...change the stats for the better?

[MdmeX]

But some of the teachers have no professional pride. That's my story line and I am sticking to it! After a nuh lie mi telling!!