Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Principal of Shortwood Teachers' College, Elaine Foster-Allen. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

WITH Government and the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) in the middle of a salary dispute, some may say it's not the best time to consider a career as an educator.

But if the numbers are anything to go by at one of Jamaica's leading teachers' colleges, young persons are not turned off by the reports of inadequate salary and benefits that have made newscasts this year.

Elaine Foster-Allen, principal at Shortwood Teachers' College, told The Gleaner last week, that annually, there is a rush of applicants to enter the 121-year-old institution.

"In terms of enrollment, we have 200 places per year and we get over 2,000 applicants, so we are oversubscribed in terms of applications," she said.

Currently, there are almost 1,000 full or part-time students pursuing degree and diploma courses at Shortwood, which started its new term on August 28.

Latest offer

The year began with the JTA and Government at loggerheads. Last week, the teacher union said it would examine Government's latest offer and was expected to give a response yesterday.

Two weeks ago, Gleaner sources said the offer was a $20,000 increase in the first year, and $22,000 in the second. The JTA executive is said to be pushing for $24,000 in the second.

Mrs. Foster-Allen, who has been an educator for nearly 30 years, has taught locally and in the United Kingdom. She said a career in the classroom remains attractive to the youth, but many eventually take up better-paying posts overseas or are lured by the big bucks of the corporate sector.

"In 2002, we had that watershed where quite a number of teachers were attracted to go the U.S. or the U.K., but we still have 23,000-plus teachers in the system," she said. "Interestingly, some who go on to work in the financial sector return to teaching."

Ms. Foster-Allen said a four-year programme offering degrees in early childhood education, human ecology and religious education is an exciting addition to the Shortwood Teachers' College curriculum.

The programme was one of several recommendations by the Natonal Task Force on Education that was established in early 2004 by then Prime Minister P.J. Patterson.

It called for prospective teachers to, among other things, hold a first degree in education or diploma in teaching from a local college.

"The significance of it is that at long last the teaching profession is on its way to becoming a graduate profession," said Mrs. Foster-Allen.

Economic challenges

Petrine Hall and Tenecia MacIntosh are not fazed by the economic challenges teachers currently face. They plan to go straight into the classroom when they graduate from Shortwood Teachers' College. Both were heading to classes when they spoke with The Gleaner last week.

"If everybody is dropping out of the profession, then there won't be anybody to help the students that are coming up," said Petrine, a second-year human ecology student. "Even though the money is not good, if your heart is in it, the money isn't really a factor."

A graduate of Holmwood Technical High School in Manchester, Petrine is a native of Albert Town, Trelawny. The 25-year-old plans to return to her home town to teach once she graduates.

Tenecia, a 19-year-old who is in her second year of a degree in secondary education in double math, sees the current dispute between the JTA and Government as a positive for the next generation of Jamaican teachers. She said it represents change.

"We have to get involved and help make the change and make sure the process (for improvements) will continue later on," she said.

Born in Kingston, she hopes to teach at an all-girl school once she leaves Shortwood.