EDITORIAL

Conference Year 2003 – 2004 marked the start of celebrations of 40 years of the creation of the JTA as the single professional organization representing the interests of our nation’s teachers and championing the cause of education in Jamaica. Indeed, 2004 also represents 110 years of teacher trade unionism in Jamaica with the formation in 1894 of the Jamaica Union of Teachers (JUT).

Under the theme, “Reflecting on the past, Repositioning for the future,” the Association began celebrating this milestone with an ecumenical service on April 4, 2004, hosted a Conference on Early Childhood Education; published a commemorative feature in the Daily Gleaner; hosted the Executive Meeting of the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) and the 10th Biennial of the CUT Athletic Championships at the National Stadium on July 16 and 17; and in July, sent a delegation to the 4th World Congress of Education International (EI) held in Puerto Libre, Brazil.

The Prime Minister’s New Year’s Message for 2004 set the pace with his announcement of a Task Force to look into the educational sector and make recommendations. The Task Force submitted an interim report in June. We anxiously await the detailed recommendations.

Dr. Dennis Minott’s report on schools’ performance and his grading based on the performance of students in the Caribbean School Examination (CXC) also came in for much attention and under discussion too was the long-awaited piloting of the instrument to evaluate teacher performance.

Violence in our schools did not escape the limelight with the murder of three students. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) and the Government, was another matter which our teachers have, had to contend with. On the international scene, the spread of AIDS in the Caribbean, Asia and sub-
Saharan Africa, the denial of education and fundamental freedoms because of war, famine and natural disasters are issues with which we as teachers will always have to cope. We inhabit one globe and disasters in one area impact us all.

Jamaica hosts the Secretariat of the CUT with Byron Farquharson, Past President, being President of that regional group of teachers. Collin Greene, Immediate Past President of CUT was elected to the Executive Board of Education International and the World Teachers’ Union, was admitted into EI, as an autonomous body.

As we face the inevitable onslaught of globalization, it is indeed comforting to know that the JTA, the successor organization to five competitive teacher organizations, now represents Jamaican teachers in regional and international fora.

There are plans afoot to create an International Workers Federation, and why not? With globalization, the individual worker, wherever he/she is, will need increasing protection. Unity is the only antidote to isolation and devisiveness. Let us therefore ‘unite and serve.’ Long live the JTA!