JIS: Cabinet has signed off on the draft Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC) Bill, says Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid.

 

The Bill seeks to establish a governing body for the teaching profession and a licensing and registration regime for all government-paid teachers. The licensing regime is expected to take effect when the Bill is passed.

 

“We have finished the full draft and Cabinet has signed off on it. So, there are just one or two comments that the Attorney General’s Department needs to make, so we can move that to the Legislation Committee (of the Cabinet),” he said.

 

Senator Reid was addressing the launch of the Mico International Mathematics Summit at the institution’s premises on Marescaux Road, in St. Andrew, on January 30.

 

The Government’s move to implement a regime for the licensing and registration of teachers is aimed at ensuring greater levels of accountability and professionalism.

 

“The registration and licensing will ensure we place the teachers so trained and qualified, demonstrating competence in the right subject areas, at the right level of the education system and also the requirement for continuous professional development,” Senator Reid said.

 

The Jamaica Teaching Council was established in 2008 as a part of the Education Transformation Strategy to improve the quality and coverage of education.

 

The Council’s mandate is focused on achieving its ultimate goal of repositioning teaching as the profession of choice.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addresses the launch of the Mico International Mathematics Summit, held at the institution’s premises on Marescaux Road in St. Andrew, on January 30.