Gov’t to Strengthen Teaching Profession Through JTC Act – PM Holness

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is reassuring educators that the Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC) Act, 2025 is intended to “professionalise” teaching and is based on partnership.

“Let me state this plainly; this is not an attempt to control teachers. It is a national effort to uplift, upgrade, and to use the term ‘professionalise’ teaching in Jamaica,” the Prime Minister said.

He was addressing students and faculty members of The Mico University College at the institution’s Marescaux Road campus in Kingston during a Teachers’ Day visit on Wednesday (May 7).

Dr. Holness pointed out that the JTC Bill is a recommendation that emerged over 20 years ago from the 2004 Education Transformation Task Force, by former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. P.J. Patterson.

He noted that he inherited the Bill during his tenure as Minister of Education, pointing out that former Education Minister, Ronald Thwaites, also attempted to advance the proposal.

The Prime Minister said the JTC recommendation has always been “a thorny issue” but maintained that it is necessary.

“So, just as the laws govern how doctors, lawyers, engineers, and accountants are certified, regulated and held accountable, so too should it be for the teaching profession. We cannot continue to treat teaching as less than a profession,” Dr. Holness argued.

He noted that while teaching has always been considered a profession in Jamaica, the institutional framework for accountability and standards has been absent.

“Now, the Jamaica Teaching Council Bill seeks to establish a regulatory body that will uphold the highest standards in teacher education, licensure and professional development. It will provide a framework for continuous training, peer review, and support, while also ensuring that our children are taught by individuals who meet clear, transparent, and high-quality benchmarks,” the Prime Minister reasoned.

The JTC Bill, 2025 is now being piloted by Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon.

It seeks to establish the Jamaica Teaching Council as a statutory body to regulate entry, conduct and professional development of teachers; maintain registers of teachers, role of instructors, and enforce standards of teacher competence and ethics, while promoting teaching as a respected professional and accountable discipline aligned with Jamaica’s education transformation.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Holness responded to arguments that the legislation will force more teachers to migrate.

“I did some research, and I found out that most, if not all, the jurisdictions that our teachers would end up in have some form and even stronger regulations for professional requirements for teachers,” he informed,

Dr. Holness affirmed that the Government remains open to hearing the concerns of teachers and aspiring educators to facilitate a resolution.

The Senate has begun debating on the JTC Act, 2025.