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A
unified system of education - Leader of the Opposition,
The Right Honourable Edward Seaga
IT
IS a great pleasure to join with you in the celebration
of 40 years as an institution dedicated to the service
of the teaching profession in Jamaica. Indeed, it is
hard to realise that 40 years have passed since the
late A. Wesley Powell performed the mammoth task of
welding the three major teachers` organisations into
a single unit - the Jamaica Teachers` Association.
The
passage of time has shown the wisdom of the action,
and Jamaica has been greatly assisted by this development.
At the time the Minister of Education was a Mico Honour
man, the late E.L. Allen, who was very involved as teacher
as well. There is no doubt that we all shared the vision
of a Jamaica with a unified system of education. In
former days, the secondary stream was regarded as something
for the elite, while the elementary stream was regarded
as adequate for the masses. Today, those earlier points
of conflict are forgotten and highly qualified teachers
and administrators are needed at every level.
Within
the JTA, we note with pride that teachers have come
from many various institutions, and classroom teachers
as well as principals have occupied this high office.
Its services have spread from mere representation to
involvement in all areas of education policy and assistance
within finance, housing and retired personnel. With
the current crisis facing the nation, these services
are needed now more than ever.
I
wish to congratulate all those who toiled over the 40
years, and hope that the current team will continue
in their footsteps.
The
Most Hon. Edward Seaga, ON, PC, MP
Leader of The Opposition
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