Malabver highlights teacher sacrifice as schools reopen

As schools across Jamaica reopened, Mark Malabver, president of the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA), shared a message celebrating the dedication of teachers while urging parents, communities, and policymakers to support education.

Malabver recounted the story of a teacher in rural Jamaica who helped a poor student to achieve academic excellence.

"A teacher in rural Jamaica recently told me about a student who came to school each day with only one exercise book. That one book had to serve for every subject--mathematics, English, science, social studies," Malabver said in his back-to-school message yesterday.

He said that the teacher, instead of being discouraged, bought a few extra notebooks from her own pocket, and encouraged the student to keep striving.

"Today, that same student has passed all their subjects at CSEC and is preparing for university," the JTA president said.

He reminded educators that while they face challenges such as low wages, inequitable resources, and dilapidated facilities, the sacred trust placed in teachers' hands remains paramount.

"Friends, this is the story of countless teachers across Jamaica--sacrificing quietly, giving selflessly, and changing lives one child at a time. It reminds us that while the system may fall short, the heart of the teacher continues to beat strong," he said.

Malabver emphasised that teachers are "nation-builders" and that every doctor, lawyer, engineer, artist, and leader started as a child nurtured by a teacher. He stressed that education requires collective effort, calling on parents to engage with schools, communities to protect educational institutions, and policymakers to invest meaningfully in education.

Looking ahead, Malabver urged teachers to embrace the new academic year with resilience, hope and unity.

"Let us lift each other up, and let us continue to demand better, together. For when teachers are respected, classrooms are resourced, and schools are strong, Jamaica is unstoppable," Malabver said.