Teachers urged not to Equate Pay with Value

Teachers are being urged to see themselves as among the country’s most valuable professionals, who are worth far above what they will ever be paid by any Government.
“You should not equate what you are paid with your value,” said Director and Chief State Liaison at the Jamaica Information Service, Mr. Ian Boyne.
“You are worth far more than, not just what you are paid, but what any Government could give you through any negotiation by the toughest of negotiators.this country would never be able to compensate you for what you bring,” he argued.
Mr. Boyne was speaking yesterday (May 5) at a Teachers’ Day luncheon for a group of educators from the Hydel Group of Schools, held at the Altamont Court Hotel in Kingston.
He shared with them that through his television programme, ‘Profile’, he has been able to see the impact that many teachers have had on students, who went on to make their mark on the country and even the world.
According to Mr. Boyne, teachers must see their jobs as more than teaching literacy and numeracy, as some of the most important ingredients for success in life are not intellectual in nature, but those that are linked to a person’s social skills and their attitude.
He noted that teachers exert considerable influence over their students, as in most cases they spend more time interacting with the students than their parents. He stated that a teacher’s job was an enormous one that had to be handled responsibly, as the things they say today could have a permanent effect.
“So, when you go back to school, in the midst of the frustration and the bad behaviour, you must tell yourself that you can make a difference. always believe that you can make a difference. You might not be able to save everyone, but you can save some,” Mr. Boyne charged.