Education Ministry Looking to Recruit More Bursars in Schools

The Ministry of Education and Youth is looking to recruit more bursars within the public school system.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, has indicated that she is advocating for an increase in the complement, particularly at the primary level.

“I know you’re primarily in our high schools, [but] many of our primary schools don’t have bursars. We have large primary schools, we have medium-sized or small. We have to think about how we can, maybe, group our small primary schools together, so that they have the services of a bursar as well,” Mrs. Williams said.

She was speaking during the 22nd annual Caribbean Bursars Conference at the Grand Palladium Hotel in Hanover on November 18.

Mrs. Williams underscored the importance of bursars in the efficient functioning of the public school system

She noted that the financial officers play a critical role in ensuring accountability in the institutions’ administration and that their teaching and learning objectives are met.

“You have to manage the resources given to schools by the Ministry and other resources that may come in, either from the efforts at the schools through concessionaires, or other activities.

“As Minister, I really acknowledge the work that you do in our schools. I know that the work you do is important. Our schools are far-flung across Jamaica, they are of different sizes and makeup [and] there are a lot of issues that you have to deal with on a day-by-day basis,” Mrs. Williams said.

Against this background, the Minister advised that technological initiatives, such as the MyHR+ integrated human resource and payroll system, will be implemented in schools to assist bursars with their daily activities.

She noted that the technology is intended to spur greater efficiency in schools “and not to take anything away from you or diminish what you do.”

“As we go forward, there [will be] more and more technology [introduced] in our schools… to help you streamline the work that you do… because, at the end of the day, the Ministry of Education and Youth has to give account for all the finances of the education sector,” she said.

Mrs. Williams assured members of the Bursars Association of Jamaica (BAJ), which hosted the conference, that the Government will continue to safeguard their welfare while encouraging them to strengthen their skills through ongoing training.

The three-day conference was held from November 16 to 19 under the theme ‘Reaffirming Our Roles as Leaders in Educational Institutions’.