Article Review
The article focus on tackling the issue related to the leave of absence of teachers in Jamaica. The target audience of the article of those teachers in Jamaica as well as the officials and authorities in the government agencies included in the article such as the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and Ministry of Education.
The passage of Tropical Storm Nicole had caused major environmental problems which caused problems for teachers and students. As a result, the Ministry of Education on October of 2010 told school managers through circular orders, that those teachers who were absent from their schools during the period of the Storm must have their absence recorded as leave, if and only if they had not been marooned in the communities or kept away from the classrooms because of impassable conditions of roads. On the other hand, the JTA told its members not to comply with this directive, which is to apply leave due to their absence from the classroom in the duration of Tropical Storm Nicole, which created different risks and hindrances in order to continue their classes.
According to JTA, it is not justifiable because, the directive of the ministry will mean punishing its employees for matter or a phenomenon which they had no control or say at all. Thus, the JTA strongly believe that, by the said directive, the ministry is ignoring and discounting the good industrial-relations practice as well as peace at the workplace. Thus, the organization strongly believes that it will be unreasonable for the teachers to apply for leave, or to decrease their leave regarding a day or a situation, which are not under control of the teachers. Therefore, the organization focuses on declaring that the day as a non-working day for the teachers, because of the impossible situation. According to the Nadine Molloy, the president of JTA, that the said event is another of misunderstanding between the two organizations. But she strongly opinioned that causal leave is considered as a negotiated benefit that should not be interfered with. Thus, she included that teachers would be using their casual leave in unnecessary manner, if they follow the directive of the ministry. She explained that casual leave is being granted for different personal uses, emergencies as well as minor illnesses. According to the JTA, it is impossible or somewhat unreasonable to allow or to push the teacher to take a leave during that time, because, the ODPEM had already asked and declared that schools must be closed, it was declared no classes in the entire class; in addition, this was also supported by the ministry of education. Therefore, teachers could not get to school due to the act of nature over which they had no control. Therefore, it is unreasonable to push them to take their casual leave, because it is not even a personal emergency or minor illness.
Teachers are allowed and entitled to have 12 days of casual leave. Imagine that, if they take leave for the said event, the days of their casual leave will be lessen over an event which are not in their grasp or in their control.
However, According to the Chief Education Officer of Grace McLean, the one whose signature the circular was sent to school managers explained that the JTA have misinterpreted the correspondence or the directive of the ministry. According to McLean, the said action of JTA does not show any bad relationship or animosity between the two agencies – the ministry and JTA. She also added, that commonly, the two organizations able to sort out and act about their problems or differences in terms of perspectives and opinions. In addition, she also added that the said event between JTA and the ministry about the leave of the teachers is just a misunderstanding that is needed to be cleared up for the sake of the teachers and the entire education sector.
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