Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#Jamaica, April 15, 2024 – Jamaica’s teacher shortage is worsening as Schools in England increase the recruitment rate for qualified teachers outside of Europe according to reports.

Statistics show that in 2023, 1,100 work visas were issued to qualified secondary school teachers for England. This is more than the 555 visas issued in 2022 and the 205 in 2021.

From Jamaica alone, there were 486 qualified teachers recruited to England in 2023, twice as many compared to 2022.

Highlighting the seriousness of the impact this teacher brain drain has on Jamaica, Leighton Johnson, Head teacher and President of the Jamaica Teachers Association, reportedly highlighted that teacher shortages have been so severe that positions were unfilled for more than a year and where retired, untrained and teachers on vacation were hired.

Additionally, Johnson continued to point out that it’s much more serious than many realize as schools also had to cut subjects from syllabi, as they couldn’t find teachers to teach them. Also, some schools had to share teachers, some resorting to streaming so one teacher can teach two classes at once.

However, despite the unfortunate strain on the education sector, Jamaican teachers leaving for English Schools is fueled by the desire for better opportunities and Emiliana Vegas, a professor of practice at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education expresses this, featured in an article by The Guardian.

“The reality is that, from the perspective of a Jamaican teacher, moving to the UK to work is economically a good idea. Salaries and working conditions are much better in the UK than in most low- and middle-income countries, like Jamaica,” she maintained.

In their recruitment process, Johnson revealed in a report from the Guardian, that England has been going hard. He said they, alongside other countries, use advertising and seminars to attract teachers, as well as directly approaching them, offering higher salaries. Some, he says, are even given a stipend or payment of some kind to get them to go to England.

Johnson further informs that the recruiters will, through their networking, employ teachers to recruit other teachers, adding that Jamaican teachers are sought after by other countries like the US and Canada and the Middle East for their training and language skills.

Dan Moynihan, chief executive of the Harris Federation chain based around London, reportedly said they recruit Jamaican teachers because they can’t find any in England.

In 2023, the federation had officials fly to Jamaica where they held interviews and recruited 50 teachers mainly for Science and Math.

England’s increase in recruitment comes as the country reports having severe shortages in various subjects.