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Holness scolds US educator
Thursday, August 19, 2010
OCHO RIOS, St Ann — Education Minister Andrew Holness yesterday scolded president of the National Education Association (NEA) in the United States, Dennis Van Roekel for his criticism Monday about the cut in Jamaica's education budget.
Holness said the comments made by Roekel, during his address to the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) annual conference Monday<span style="font-weight: bold"> were unfair, especially since educators in the United States were facing drastic cuts in their budgets as well.</span>
"...<span style="font-weight: bold">Anyone that comes to Jamaica and make such statement ought to bring the full picture that it is not the evil government of Jamaica that has just randomly slashed the education budget,"</span> Holness told the teachers at their conference here yesterday.
"All around governments have had to look hard, and many of them have taken the opportunity of the recession to look at the efficiency of their education service," Holness said, <span style="font-weight: bold">noting that thousands of teachers across the United States have been laid off.</span>
"Cuts are not just in Jamaica; in the richest countries in the world they have had to cut too, so it's not a fear comment," Holness said.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Roekel, during his address, told teachers that he had written to US secretary of the treasury, Timothy Geithner, asking that he use his influence to ensure that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) does not approve loans to countries which have cut their education budget</span>.
"...I don't know whether or not it would be appropriate for anyone to go to an institution such as the IMF to say that countries like Jamaica ought to face some kind of penalty for cutting education budget," Holness said yesterday. The budget, he added, was crafted with the assistance of the IMF.
He said Jamaica works closely with all its international development partners, including the IMF, to structure the country's budget in the best way possible.
"Whatever it is that Mr Van Roekel intends to go and say to the State Department or the Treasury Department or to say to the IMF, it is not necessary, because we are already working in close dialogue and contact in making sure that we craft a budget for Jamaica that is equitable and fair," Holness said.
Roekel is the leader of the powerful NEA — the largest labour union for teachers in the US with over 3.2 million members.
He said it was wrong for the Jamaican government to make cuts to education and also lashed the administration for not meeting its financial obligations to the teachers.
Holness said any discussion regarding cuts in education from persons outside Jamaica should also clearly highlight the widescale cuts and impact the recession has had on the education system in the US and other parts of the world.
Holness, in the meantime, expressed regrets over the ongoing impasse between the Government and public school teachers over retroactive salaries. He said the delay in payment should not be considered as a malicious attempt by the administration not to pay over the outstanding money
Thursday, August 19, 2010
OCHO RIOS, St Ann — Education Minister Andrew Holness yesterday scolded president of the National Education Association (NEA) in the United States, Dennis Van Roekel for his criticism Monday about the cut in Jamaica's education budget.
Holness said the comments made by Roekel, during his address to the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) annual conference Monday<span style="font-weight: bold"> were unfair, especially since educators in the United States were facing drastic cuts in their budgets as well.</span>
"...<span style="font-weight: bold">Anyone that comes to Jamaica and make such statement ought to bring the full picture that it is not the evil government of Jamaica that has just randomly slashed the education budget,"</span> Holness told the teachers at their conference here yesterday.
"All around governments have had to look hard, and many of them have taken the opportunity of the recession to look at the efficiency of their education service," Holness said, <span style="font-weight: bold">noting that thousands of teachers across the United States have been laid off.</span>
"Cuts are not just in Jamaica; in the richest countries in the world they have had to cut too, so it's not a fear comment," Holness said.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Roekel, during his address, told teachers that he had written to US secretary of the treasury, Timothy Geithner, asking that he use his influence to ensure that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) does not approve loans to countries which have cut their education budget</span>.
"...I don't know whether or not it would be appropriate for anyone to go to an institution such as the IMF to say that countries like Jamaica ought to face some kind of penalty for cutting education budget," Holness said yesterday. The budget, he added, was crafted with the assistance of the IMF.
He said Jamaica works closely with all its international development partners, including the IMF, to structure the country's budget in the best way possible.
"Whatever it is that Mr Van Roekel intends to go and say to the State Department or the Treasury Department or to say to the IMF, it is not necessary, because we are already working in close dialogue and contact in making sure that we craft a budget for Jamaica that is equitable and fair," Holness said.
Roekel is the leader of the powerful NEA — the largest labour union for teachers in the US with over 3.2 million members.
He said it was wrong for the Jamaican government to make cuts to education and also lashed the administration for not meeting its financial obligations to the teachers.
Holness said any discussion regarding cuts in education from persons outside Jamaica should also clearly highlight the widescale cuts and impact the recession has had on the education system in the US and other parts of the world.
Holness, in the meantime, expressed regrets over the ongoing impasse between the Government and public school teachers over retroactive salaries. He said the delay in payment should not be considered as a malicious attempt by the administration not to pay over the outstanding money
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