Why Educate Jamaica says JA$250,000 monthly for Ministry of Education Mathematics and Science Teachers

Mathematics and Science Teacher salary is the imaginary root of the problem that needs to be rationalized. If you're math nerd like me, then you'll get what I just said right there.

Turns out Mathematics and Science Teachers need a salary of JA$250,000 per month says Educate Jamaica in the article “Pay Science And Math Teachers $250,000 Monthly – Education Think Tank”, published January 26 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.

 

Educate Jamaica, in their article on their website entitled “$250,000 Minimum Monthly (After Tax) to Keep Mathematics and Science Teachers in Jamaica Classroom” is predicting that more Mathematics and Science Teachers will exit the Teaching profession in the next 24-36 months.

This is on top of the 494 mathematics and science teachers why have already exited the education system in 2015. The Educate Jamaica chief executive of Educate Jamaica, Ainsworth Darby, arrived at this figure by first considering two things:

1.      JA$90,000 after tax, the current salary for a entry level Mathematics and Science teacher

2.      The salaries being paid to Teacher of Mathematics and Science in the UK and US of A

He claims the only alternative to increasing Mathematics and Science Teachers teacher salary to JA$250,000 per month is employing them from Asia, South America and Africa as noted in the article “Pay Up! - Educate Jamaica Says $250,000 Monthly Salary Needed To Keep Mathematics And Science Teachers In Classroom”, published Wednesday January 27, 2016, by Andre Poyser, The Jamaica Gleaner.

So how did he arrive at this figure?

JA$250,000 per month an Engineer’s Entry Level Salary – Salary Increase may not be enough

This salary sounds about right, albeit I didn't know that Mathematics and Science Teachers with a Degree in their discipline were making over JA$90,000 after tax.

My figure of JA$35,000 per month to JA$60,000 per month is actually based on a Teacher who has no degree but merely a Teacher's diploma as noted in my blog article entitled “Why JA$100,000 Salaries needed to STEM Mathematics and Science Teacher shortage in Jamaica”. 

So if Teachers are now currently at JA$90,000 per month after Tax, then a move to JA$250,000 per month after tax to match our US and UK counterparts might do the trick, which I would naturally support. This proposed salary is a lot more like the entry level Engineer's salary of JA$250,000 per month, with JA$100,000 per month being the entry level salary for a Telecom Technician.

But does an increase of Salary mean more students will enter the Teaching profession? And will it be enough to stop the current Mathematics and Science Teacher from leaving the profession?

Why Educate Jamaica attacks the JTA leadership - JTA President opposed to Salary Increase

Good to note here that his arguement fits with mine in my blog article entitled “Why JA$100,000 won't Stop Mathematics and Science Teachers as Braindrain will accelerate”, as an increase in salary to JA$100,000 per month will not stop the exodus of Mathematics Teachers.

Changes need to be made to the teaching environment for Mathematics and Science Teachers as well as the student-teacher relationship. These are the problems that Teachers in Mathematics and Science Teachers have to contend with on a daily basis:

1.      Poorly stocked Laboratories

2.      Lack of Experimental apparatus

3.      Lack of a Science Teaching Classroom

4.      Lack of Teaching aids in the classroom

5.      Unruly children in the Classroom

Strangely, Educate Jamaica takes aim at something else entirely; the JTA leadership!

According to Educate Jamaica, the JTA (Jamaica Teachers Association) leadership structure need to be changed as noted in the article “Change Needed In JTA Leadership Structure - Educate Jamaica”, published Wednesday January 27, 2016, by Andre Poyser, The Jamaica Gleaner.

In fact, chief executive of Educate Jamaica, Ainsworth Darby, directly attacks the leadership of the JTA, claiming that it doesn’t represent the Teachers of Jamaica, quote:  “Each organisation endeavours to have its own unique identity and structure, however, if such an identity and structure is not fit for purpose, then it needs to be reviewed and in this case, the current structure of the leadership of the JTA is not fit for purpose”.

This may be because the president of the JTA President, Norman Allen, was opposed to the original proposal of increasing Mathematics and science Teachers salaries as noted in the article  “JTA Against Paying Science And Maths Teachers More Than Other Educators”, published Thursday December 17, 2015, by Jovan Johnson, The Jamaica Gleaner.

He claims that the proposed salary increase does not account for the demand in other teaching disciplines by other countries, which is also on the rise. This view is supported by youth development, HIV and human rights advocate Jaevion Nelson, who claims that fewer Americans and Europeans are opting to teach.

According to his arguement, this implies that the US and UK recruiters may soon turn to recruiting other teachers from other disciplines as stated in the article “Jaevion Nelson: More Money Won't Keep Teachers In The Classroom”, published December 31, 2015 by Jaevion Nelson, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

So under pressure from the JTA, the Ministry of Education backed down from the proposal. If the Educate Jamaica proposal for an increase in salary and a change in the JTA leadership were auctioned, thing might improve, albeit more change is needed.

So what is the Ministry of Education planning to do to stem the current loss of Mathematics and Science Teachers?

Ministry of Education proposes Recruiter caps, bonded scholarships - Educate Jamaica proposal look more attractive

The Ministry of Education has now begun to focus on how Mathematics and Science Teacher are being recruited by US and UK recruiters as noted in the article “New protocol coming for overseas recruitment of teachers”, published Monday, January 18, 2016 by Penda Honeygan, The Jamaica Observer.

Minister of Education, Ronald Thwaites says that the Mathematics and Science Teacher vanish without a trace, often leaving the school without informing their HOD or Principal of their intentions, quote: “So often schools do not know that the teacher is leaving until the teacher has left, which is our greatest difficulty”.

This time the plan seems to involve talking to the recruiters and possibly setting yearly quotas for Mathematics and Science Teachers, to quote the Minister of Education, Ronald Thwaites:  “Now, we are planning to approach the taking companies, and work out protocol even though on a government to government basis we know when an approach is being made and we know that there can be some kind of insurance because if they are taking our teachers, whom we have trained, then certainly there should be some level of reciprocity in helping to train our teachers for the local market and certainly for the foreign market”.

Additional, the Ministry of Education is also looking into the following measures:

1.      Scholarships to people who have an interest in pursuing mathematics and the sciences starting September 2016

2.      Bonding period of 3 years for exceptional mathematics and science students at Teacher's colleges

This will help those students with an interest to entering the Teaching profession, but it won't stop those Mathematics Teacher leaving the profession.

Educate Jamaica JA$250,000 per month salary – More incentives and improved teaching conditions needed

So back to executive of Educate Jamaica, Ainsworth Darby proposal, which is sound better and better every time when compared to the JTA and the Ministry of Education. A change in the JTA leadership might just be the remedy needed to get an increase of salary as after all, he's blocking the salary increase.

However, I'd also recommend the following to hold on to older, established Mathematics and Science Teacher considering leaving the Teaching Profession in Jamaica:

1.      Free land

2.      Free housing

3.      Free Car with petrol and maintenance allowance

4.      Improved Science Labs and Science Rooms

5.      Allowance to purchase Teaching aids for the Sciences

This along with a JA$250,000 per month (after Tax) salary, would go a long way in reducing the flight of established Mathematics and Science Teacher.