The recent coverage by the Jamaica Observer of the Ministry of Education’s announcement that over 2,000 teachers have been “granted” leave for the 2025–2026 academic year presents a worrying narrative. By framing the approval of leave as an act of generosity, the Ministry and by extension, the media risks undermining the rights of teachers and distracting the public from the real systemic failures plaguing Jamaica’s education system.
Let us face the facts, teacher leave is not a favour. It is an earned entitlement, secured through public service regulations, union advocacy, and enacted by law. The language used in the article not only reflects poor journalistic framing but also contributes to a wider culture of undervaluing educators and ignoring deeper issues such as chronic understaffing, low morale, and inadequate policy reform.
Let us face the facts, teacher leave is not a favour. It is an earned entitlement, secured through public service regulations, union advocacy, and enacted by law. The language used in the article not only reflects poor journalistic framing but also contributes to a wider culture of undervaluing educators and ignoring deeper issues such as chronic understaffing, low morale, and inadequate policy reform.
Over the years, many teachers have been deprived of their earned leave due to political interference, as principals and school boards have failed to recommend their applications. In a conversation with a retired vice principal of one of Jamaica’s prominent high schools, she revealed that throughout her 26 years of service, she was granted vacation leave only once. She lamented that, on multiple occasions, she was simply told that her leave was not approved. This raises an important question: who influences these decisions? When a teacher applies for leave, the application is done via the principal’s office; a recommendation is then made to the school board. In most cases, the Ministry of Education supports the principal’s recommendation, unless the application falls outside the established regulations.
Misrepresentation of Entitlements as Discretionary Favours
The term “granted” suggests an act of kindness, when in reality, the Ministry is simply upholding its legal obligation. Public sector teachers are entitled to leave; including vacation, study, and maternity/paternity leave under Jamaican public service regulations and through collective bargaining agreements. These benefits are not optional handouts, but earned rights that recognise the dedication and service of educators. To present them as discretionary undermines years of advocacy led by the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and paints a false picture of a benevolent Ministry acting out of goodwill (Jamaica Teachers’ Association , 2024).
This form of messaging is not merely inaccurate; it is dangerous. It reshapes public perception and cultivates a narrative that delegitimises teachers’ claims to their entitlements. As Benjamin (2023) argues, misrepresentation in media leads to policy inertia, particularly in systems where transparency is lacking. Why should we accept compliance with legal obligations as something worth celebrating, when the bigger crisis – the depletion of the workforce – remains unresolved?
This form of messaging is not merely inaccurate; it is dangerous. It reshapes public perception and cultivates a narrative that delegitimises teachers’ claims to their entitlements. As Benjamin (2023) argues, misrepresentation in media leads to policy inertia, particularly in systems where transparency is lacking. Why should we accept compliance with legal obligations as something worth celebrating, when the bigger crisis – the depletion of the workforce – remains unresolved?
What the Narrative Obscures: Real Crises in Education
The Ministry’s announcement, echoed uncritically by the Jamaica Observer, deflects from the most urgent issues affecting education in Jamaica today. One of the most critical is the ongoing teacher shortage, exacerbated by migration and poor retention. The JTA revealed that 49% of teachers who migrated cited uncompetitive salaries as their main reason for leaving (JTA, 2024). Yet instead of offering sustainable retention plans, the Ministry appears content to fill gaps with retired teachers, temporary contracts, and foreign hires. These are tactics that fail to address the long-term health of the education system (Gleaner, 2024; IPS News, 2001).
These stopgap measures strain the educators who remain. How can teachers in the classroom thrive when their workloads are increased and their schools remain under-resourced? According to Leadership Reimagination (2024), many schools lack basic teaching supplies, up-to-date textbooks, and even reliable internet access. The leave narrative thus becomes a smokescreen, shifting attention from the government’s failure to deliver material support, fair compensation, and strategic planning.
Who Speaks for the Teachers Still in Class?
The media coverage conveniently omits any focus on the teachers who remain in the system while their colleagues take leave. These individuals often endure overcrowded classrooms, resource scarcity, and low morale. Principal associations and union leaders have called for better working conditions and timely payments, yet little has changed (Mounsey, 2025). The Jamaica Observer article could have explored how the Ministry plans to support these teachers or prevent burnout in the current cohort. Instead, it chose a public relations approach that implies progress where there is stagnation. Is the Ministry solving a problem or merely managing perception? This is a question worth asking.
Implications and Recommendations
Erroneously framing teacher leave as a privilege distorts public discourse, undermines morale, and delays the kind of structural reforms the sector desperately needs. Policymakers must shift their focus from optics to outcomes. First, public communication must reflect the legal and contractual nature of teacher benefits. Second, the government must develop meaningful retention strategies; these include salary reviews, housing benefits, professional development, and mental health support. (Virtue, 2024). Third, journalists must uphold a higher standard of reporting by questioning official narratives and including educator perspectives. Furthermore, policymakers should expand collaboration with teacher unions and educators themselves. Rather than announcing figures in isolation, the Ministry must contextualise how teachers proceeding on earned leave will affect school operations, what mitigation measures are in place, and how long-term sustainability is being addressed.
Erroneously framing teacher leave as a privilege distorts public discourse, undermines morale, and delays the kind of structural reforms the sector desperately needs. Policymakers must shift their focus from optics to outcomes.
Conclusion
When did legal entitlements become achievements? Why are we applauding basic compliance while failing to address persistent issues like under-resourced classrooms, migration, and policy inertia? The Jamaica Observer’s coverage of the Ministry’s announcement may have been intended as a neutral report, but it ultimately serves to reinforce a narrative that teachers’ rights are conditional rather than earned. It is time to reject these misleading narratives and demand better for Jamaica’s teachers both those exercising their right to leave, and those still in the classroom fighting to educate the next generation.
References
Benjamin, M. (2023). Framing education policy in postcolonial states: The role of media and language in public sector discourse.
Kingston, M. (2025, February 28).Jamaica Teachers’ Association. (2024). JTA proposes teacher rotation model to address migration crisis. https://www.jta.org.jm/content/jta-proposes-teacher-rotation-model-address-migration-crisis
Ming, D. and Christian, C. (2022, August 30). Teacher migration in Jamaica: Exploring the causes, effects, and solutions. https://leadershipreimagination.com/uncategorized/teacher-migration-in-jamaica-exploring-the-causes-effects-and-solutions
Mounsey, C. (2025, April 15). Union ready to act as too many long-standing issues unresolved. Nation News. https://nationnews.com/2025/04/15/union-ready-to-act-as-too-many-long- standing-issues-unresolved
Neufville, Z. (2001, August 22). Jamaica schools pay price of foreign recruitment. Inter Press Service News Agency. https://www.ipsnews.net/2001/08/education-jamaica-schools-pay-price-of-foreign-recruitment
Virtue, E. (2024, August 20). Education stakeholders urge focus on improving teacher working conditions. Jamaica Gleaner. https://jamaica- gleaner.com/article/esponsored/20240820/education-stakeholders-urge-focus-improving-teacher-working-conditions
Mr. Brown is a Master Teacher, a Councillor in the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation and the 2025 – 2027 President of the Philosophy of Education Movement of the Caribbean – Jamaica Chapter.
This article is very timely and relevant, earned not monetary benefits must never be framed as favors. I hope this article reaches both the ministry of education and the media
Excellent article . Quite insightful , educational and informative. This article must be published in the two major newspapers: The Jamaica Observer and the Gleaner.
There are many in the public who are of the view that the granting of teacher’s leave and the huge payouts quoted in the article was a kind and good gesture of the government when in fact it is an entitlement and benefit accorded by the relevant statutes and legislations that the government must honor as part of their fiduciary responsibility, statutory obligation and moral duty of care.
Once again, excellent article.