
In 2022, teacher migration intensified in Jamaica. In responding to the developments, the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning (CCEP),conducted a series of interventions including staging seminars and carrying out field research to elicit the views of teachers. The seminars engaged school administrators whose views on the causes, and proposals of the solutions including their management strategies, were sought. The field research targeted teachers who had already migrated and those who had not. In respect of the latter, we sought to ascertain their migration “intentions”.

One of the major conclusions the CCEP drew from the study was that the issue of teacher migration would continue to pose a major problem for the Jamaican education system and would likely worsen in 2023 and subsequent years. In what is regarded as an unprecedented development, the Ministry of Education has (in 2024) commenced the recruitment of teachers from Ghana, India, Nigeria, and the Philippines. These countries are popular destinations from which countries such as England and the United States of America have been recruiting teachers.
One of the major conclusions the CCEP drew from the study was that the issue of teacher migration would continue to pose a major problem for the Jamaican education system and would likely worsen in 2023 and subsequent years.

Commenting on this development, the President of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), Leighton Johnson, argued that the decision of the Government of Jamaica, while understandable is ironic, given the fact that Jamaica is the home to “at least 10 esteemed tertiary institutions dedicated to …teacher training”. (Jamaica Observer – August 8, 2024).

Leighton Johnson, President of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA)
Commenting on this development, the President of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), Leighton Johnson, argued that the decision of the Government of Jamaica, while understandable is ironic, given the fact that Jamaica is the home to “at least 10 esteemed tertiary institutions dedicated to …teacher training”. (Jamaica Observer – August 8, 2024).
Getting to root causes
The research of the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning identified several root causes of teacher migration and proposed a range of solutions to address the issue. One piece of the research outputs was published in the Journal of Thought in (Current Issue ~ Fall Winter 2023: Volume 57, Numbers 3&4 | Journal of Thought) in December 2023. A second article on this matter is to be published in December 2024.
The December 2023 article is titled “Teacher Migration and the Jamaican Education System, Exploring Push and Pull Factors and Policy Options”. Based on a sample of 157 teachers, 45.9% of whom had left the Jamaican classroom and were working overseas, and 41.4% of whom were “seriously contemplating migration”, the study found that:
- Approximately 94% of the respondents perceive that Jamaica has a teacher migration crisis and 89% believe that the crisis has become more acute in the last two years.
- Ten factors are identified as contributing to teacher migration, the chief of which (# 1) is low wages.
- The other four factors in the top five (in descending order) are: lack of resources for teaching, poor school leadership, poor working conditions, and negative behaviours of students. (Leadership by principals played a role in the decision of 72.1% of the respondents’ decision to leave)
Seven factors were identified as being key to inducing teachers to remain in Jamaica, shown in the table below.
Incentives that would encourage teachers to remain in teaching in Jamaica

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Canute Thompson is Professor of Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership and Director of the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, a social activist, and author of eight books and eighteen journal articles.
His academic achievements include:
Two Principal’s Awards in 2020 for Most Outstanding Researcher and Best Publication for his book, Reimagining Educational Leadership in the Caribbean.
Two Principal’s Awards in 2023 for research activity generating the most funds, and research activity with the most development impacts, serving as Project Director for a project executed by the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning.
A 2022 Bronze place winner in the Independent Publisher Book Awards for his book, Education and Development: Policy Imperatives for Jamaica and the Caribbean.
A 2021 finalist in The Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence for all-round excellent performance in Outstanding Teaching, Outstanding Research Accomplishments, Outstanding Service to the University Community, Outstanding Public Service.
A 2021 Principal’s Award for Most Outstanding Researcher.