In an effort to boost the performance of the island's students in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, the Government is to introduce an incentive scheme for teachers.
Speaking Wednesday during the 44th annual conference of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA), Education Minister Andrew Holness said teachers have to be held accountable.
"If you increase your performance in CXC by X amount this year, you will get an incentive," Holness said, to the displeasure of some delegates and observers, who gathered at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort and Spa in St Ann.
Flat rates won't improve performance
He added: "I want my educators to get comfortable with the concepts of challenge and incentives."
Holness noted that performance in the education system would not improve by just giving flat rates.
"Built into the money that we give to schools, must be accountability and so when the Ministry of Education spends resources, it is spending it with the intention of seeing improvements in the system," said Holness.
One delegate, who was not pleased with the minister's announcement, said consideration should be given to the value that teachers add to students.
Doran Dixon, president of the JTA, said the association did not have a problem with incentives for teachers, provided that such incentives were not fully linked to performance. He noted that he would have more to say on the issue when the incentives mechanisms are worked out.