THEME: PROFESSIONALISM AND PERFORMANCE: THE TEACHERS CHALLENGE AND MISSION

The thirty seventh annual conference of the JTA was held at the Renaissance Jamaica Grand Resort, Ocho Rios from August 20-22, 2001. The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Thomas Ganser, Director, Office of Field Experience, University of Wisconsin, Whitewater College of Education. He spoke on the theme:"At the beginning of a New Century: Observations on Teaching as a Profession."

Dr. Ganser commended the JTA for its ongoing professional development activities and in particular the recent opening of the JTA's Institute for Professional Development and Research. He asserted that Teaching as a Profession is changing and offered four broad historical phases of the changing nature of Teachers professionalism as outlined by Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan(University of Toronto 2001). He said that these four phases offer a useful way to think about professionalism among teachers that is applicable in many settings including Jamaica. The four historical phases were identified as follows:

• · Phase one - the Pre-Professional Age which was seen as the phase where mass public education took place and teaching was viewed as being managerially demanding but technically simple.
• · Phase two - was dubbed the Age of the Autonomous Professional during which the status of teachers improved as the preparation for teaching increased as witnessed by the advent of stringent licencing requirements and improved salaries.
• · Phase three was called the Age of the Collegial Professional. During this phase teachers found it increasingly difficult if not impossible to grapple with the mounting complexity of schools and the growing challenges which faced them.
• · The fourth and final phase which began in the late 1990's and continues today, is influenced, if not occasioned by, the many social, economic, political and cultural transformations taking place in the world. Historical boundaries between institutions and countries are being broken down and this has given rise to revolutionary changes in the concepts and methods of schooling.

Dr. Ganser described several central features of schooling which currently obtains in his country, the U.S.A and which he believes have implications for teaching professionals as a whole. He focused on four such features:

1. Changes in the population of children attending schools
2. Change and innovations in schools
3. The tension between centralizing and decentralizing schools
4. New unionism

The high point of the evening was the investiture ceremony where the current President Mr. Paul Adams was invested and received the instrument of office. The results of the President Elect - Elections for 2001-2002 were announced and Mrs. Sadie Comrie, Guidance Counsellor at Lewisville Vocational High was declared the winner.

In her outgoing address, President Judith Spencer-Jarrett highlighted her year in office and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to have served. In his incoming address President Paul Adams focused on the following challenges:

• Conditions of Service
• Violence in Society and Violence and Indiscipline in Schools
• Intellectual Retooling
• Promoting and sharing success

On day two of the conference, Secretary general Dr. Adolph Cameron presented his first annual report. In a detailed report, Secretary General Cameron asserted that the 21st Century would be the century of Education and the Teacher. He continued his presentation by highlighting some concerns enunciated by Education International, one being the shortage of teachers needed to educate the over 25 million students of the world.

The Secretary General further stated that the JTA had received information from E.I. that Jamaica was among the few countries which opened up all sectors of their education system to free trade. He reported that the Association grappled with the issue of separation of Teachers from their posts and the protracted salary negotiations among many other issues.

The Women's Caucus was privileged to have Dr. Marsha Burmeister from Nova South eastern University as their guest presenter. She spoke on Women in Technology.

The JTA Allied Group presented reports (JTA Coop Credit Union and the Jamaica Publishing House). The awards Function was held in the evening and several Teachers received scholarships and JTA Awards. Former Secretary General Eric Downie received the Anglin Jones Award. Guest Speaker at the function was Pro-Vice Chancellor, U.W.I., Mona, Dr. Marlene Hamilton who spoke about:

• Explosion of technology
• Exodus of Jamaican Teachers
• Uprising in Kingston
• Ambiguity arising out of division
• Diversity within Teaching

On day three the Minister of Education, Youth and Culture, Senator the Hon. Burchell Whiteman and his full team met with the delegates at the conference. Several committees tabled reports and resolutions and the conference generated a lot of discussion on various issues.

The JTA staged another successful conference under the theme:"Professionalism and Performance: The teachers Challenge and Mission."