No ISSA-JCA agreement on PE teachers
... Schools’ rep refutes Heaven’s claims
CHAIRMAN OF the Headley Cup cricket competition and principal of Spaldings High School, George Henry, refuted claims made by Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) president, Billy Heaven, that there's an agreement between his organisation and the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), to train physical education (PE) teachers in cricket.
Heaven’s statements were published in an article carried in The Gleaner on March 2, 2018, where he noted: “... The JCA is to work with ISSA, and by 2019, we will have PE teachers, who specialise in cricket ... .”
Henry told The Gleaner that the arrangement in place is to ensure all high schools have at least one Level One–certified coach by the start of the next cricket season. According to him, no discussions were held between the high schools sports administrative body and the local governing body about training PE teachers specifically for cricket.
“We had no discussions with Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) as it pertains to training PE teachers for cricket. I want to refute that claim as chairman of Headley Cup cricket for ISSA. We have had a discussion about ensuring coaches in high schools acquire training to at least Level One, effective f or the next season – 2018/2019,” said Henry.
Heaven admitted that the agreement is, in fact, to train PE teachers who are interested and that it does not apply to PE teachers right across the board.
“PE teachers are the most available, so if it is that they are so inclined and have the interest and the ability, they should be trained, as they are the first point of contact,” Heaven said. “So I’m not saying we will go right across the board and every PE teacher will become a coach, but we would start with the ones that are interested and the ones that are not interested, you leave them and look outside.”