Elesha George
The marketability of teachers in Antigua and Barbuda has highlighted a potential brain drain as educators are becoming increasingly qualified to work in other countries.
Sharon Kelsick, General Secretary of the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers (ABUT) revealed that currently 317 teachers in Antigua and Barbuda have upgraded their qualifications, highlighting the growing number of educators who are now eligible to pursue careers in more lucrative teaching markets globally. “We have to ensure that we are able to keep these teachers in our system, that they do not leave us,” she said.
She underscored how the landscape of teaching has evolved over the years, explaining, “You have to ensure that teaching remains attractive to our teachers now, because gone are the days when we can say people teach because it’s a calling, you have a heart for it and it’s a calling so I’m going to stay in it despite the issues that I am having – that’s not the case anymore. The dispensation of teachers you have now, even if I love it, even if it’s a calling, I’m not going to stay in it to my detriment when there are so many things going against me,” she explained.
Comparing the situation in Antigua and Barbuda to neighbouring Jamaica, where a staggering 854 educators have departed the system in 2023, Kelsick underscored the need to heed Jamaica’s experience as a cautionary tale. Although the numbers may not be as substantial in Antigua, she noted that at least six teachers have already left, a significant loss for a small society.
“We need to look at the situation in Jamaica and take it as a lesson and not sit by and think that it is not happening in Antigua.”
Challenges such as inadequate classrooms, unsafe teaching environments, and insufficient compensation are dissuading educators from remaining in the system. Kelsick also highlighted the lengthy waiting periods of five to six years for teachers to receive proper compensation for their upgraded degrees, further eroding their motivation to stay. “If we continue to sit back and say well it’s not happening in Antigua, it’s only a few leaving …in five years we are going to be in the same position if we’re not careful,” she remarked.
Robyn Joseph Nathaniel, Vice President of the ABUT is also concerned about the impact this trend may have on the education system of the twin-island state. She described what’s happening in Jamaica as “scary” and warned of the potential repercussions of educators seeking self-development opportunities in larger markets.
Nathaniel acknowledged that access to tertiary institutions, including the University of the West Indies Five Islands, which has expanded opportunities for teachers to attain first degrees and even master’s degrees, making them more marketable. However, she stressed the importance of implementing measures to ensure that teachers feel valued and comfortable in their roles to prevent a serious issue from arising in the coming years.
“Teachers are paying for themselves to get educated, they’re doing what they need to do and so they become more marketable, and so if we do not put measures in place to make our teachers feel comfortable, we’re going to be in a very serious issue maybe five years down the road.”