Government’s contribution can’t prepare students for tomorrow – Davis Whyte
WESTERN BUREAU: HELENE DAVIS Whyte, the president of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU), says the Government’s contribution towards school fees is a mere “drop in the bucket and is insufficient to prepare our students for tomorrow’s world”.
Davis Whyte, who was the keynote speaker on yesterday’s first day of the three-day Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) 52nd annual conference in Montego Bay, was making reference to the Government’s $19,000-per-child contribution to the schools.
“When one thinks of $19,000 per child and you look at what prep school fees [are], and think of secondary school where you talking about labs and all these other things, $19,000 is a drop in the bucket,” said Davis Whyte. “... And I have said to parents, very often, we get what we pay for, that’s really what it amounts to.
“So if as parents we determine that our children are important to us, and we need them to get education at a particular standard, we have to first determine what is that cost,” said Davis Whyte.
Davis Whyte said that she was curious about how the Government made the decision as to the appropriateness of a maximum of $19,000-per-child contribution when one considered the overall cost of maintaining a school plant.
“I am curious as to how the ministry draws a figure of $19,100 out of a hat, because it can only be drawn out of a hat. As far as I am concerned, when one looks at the real cost of maintaining a school plant, the cost of electricity, water ... and when you think of all the things that have to be done [with] $19,000 – not for the term, but for the year, [that is] almost $7,000 per term,” said Davis Whye.