As the ninth of 11 children, Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA) president, Winston Smith, is today grateful that his mother relied on God to raise them after his father died while she was four months pregnant with her last child.
“By faith, my mother, and by the grace of God, saw all 11 of us transition to high school and to university,” he said during the opening session of the JTA 58th Annual Conference in St. Ann recently.
Smith now asks Jamaica’s teachers to also have faith in God to see them through this challenging period, as the education sector faces numerous challenges. Chief among them is the mass migration of educators. The Education Ministry has disclosed that 167 teachers have resigned their posts since July 2022.
“The reality is that those of us who remain may have a more challenging job, but I believe in you, our educators, my colleagues, that when the battle is hot and the conflict soars, then the strength in you will rise like that of Paul Bogle and you will be able to sojourn through the hills and valleys, and take on the mammoth task of educating our children,” said Smith.
He assured that the Union will not retreat from representing teachers to the best of its ability. Among those issues being tackled are the contentious Jamaica Teaching Council Bill and a compensation review. They are also examining the Pension Act and the Minimum Wage Act.
Smith’s reflection of his own mother was spurred by Apostle Jeffrey Shuttleworth’s reminder of how God has helped many mothers of faith to raise upwards of seven children to become productive citizens in Jamaica.
“Even when there was not enough food to give to the children; there was not enough money to pay the school fees, the mother, the grandmother, the parents trust in God. They prayed and God made the way,” he said.
Apostle Shuttleworth who pastors the Tarrant Baptist Church (TBC) encouraged the educators to continue believing in God.
“We are in a society, a world, which tells us that God helps those who help themselves. Let me say that that is New Age. It is not of the Bible, it is not of God,” he said.
“Faith is at its best, when you are facing your Red Seas, impossible moment, as you are now. You are negotiating with the government against a backdrop of harsh economic situations; against the backdrop of brain drain. An increasing number of our teachers are leaving in droves. Yes, it’s against the backdrop where things are getting more and more expensive and also, human beings are having to increasingly compete against A.I,” he noted.
Smith said that parents will likely be anxious and have questions because of what is happening, but he encouraged the teachers to let their response be one of hope.
“Let your faith in God come to the fore, recognizing that you have started a good work, and you can’t stop, you must finish,” Smith encouraged.