Reflections on the J.T.A. - Mrs. Fay Saunders (Former Secretary General)
 It would be an interesting exercise to
study the ways in which the development and growth of the teacher movement nationally (i.e. the evolution and growth of the J.T.A.) has paralleled the political and economic development of the nation itself. For it was in the
ferment and excitement of the national
independence movement that the idea of
extensive teacher unity for educational and national development came to fruition. It may seem that 1894 is a long time ago but not so in the annals of human and national evolution.
The old cliches - “nothing before its time” and “an idea whose time has come” - were once again endorsed when parallel to the achievement of political independence (1962), the Jamaica Teachers’ Association became a
living and exciting entity (1964). For teachers the excitement of the times doubled - national independence and teacher satisfaction!!!
As we look back to the aggressiveness (in its best sense) of the leadership which brought
the Association into being and the quality & extent of volunteerism which made the whole effort possible, we can appreciate more
readily perhaps, how a people will find the means to influence its own destiny when goals are identified and commitment to a cause is truly in place and demonstrated.
Those of us who lived through those stimulating days and were privileged to serve our
children through education, to serve the cause of teachers and the nation, place the highest value on the width and depth of the experiences gained, and the personal relationships developed.
One of the most important goals which were set for the fledgling Association was the achievement of a greater sense of unity within the teaching profession. It was believed that a unified teaching profession would greatly facilitate a unified people in a unified nation. The existing pervasiveness at the time of a social order in which so may stratas existed, and so many persons saw themselves as “
better” than so many others, would only be erased, it was believed, when teachers and children envisioned themselves as being
equally valued. The goal of UNITY was
perhaps, the no. 1 priority of the new Association. How would the achievement of this goal be rated today?
In its forty (40) years of existence, the Association has faced many challenges. When we look back on the many improvements in the teachers’ conditions of service and salaries, opportunities for professional development, contributions made to national educational ideas and life, opportunities for personal growth through international contacts and exchanges, avenues provided for economic activity, for group travel and the consciousness of “belonging”, the Association is
justified in completing its 40th year in the expectation of a solid future.
May the J.T.A. continue to live up to the true meaning of its motto “Unite & Serve”.
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