‘Deeply troubling’: JTA alarmed as 15 Kingston High teachers get termination letters

More than a dozen teachers at Kingston High School have been issued termination letters by the institution’s Board of Management, a move described by Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) president La Sonja Harrison as “deeply troubling” and “extremely egregious”. Observer Online understands that 15 teachers, some of whom have been employed at the institution for more than a year, received the letters following a recent board meeting. Chairman of the school board Carlton Brown told Observer Online that the separations were based on assessments and the performance of the teachers. “We had a situation where we did have some separations based on assessments, outcomes, and performance, and it's not fully completed yet. That's as much as I can say right now,” he said. However, the school’s principal, Jermaine Loutin, described the affected educators as excellent teachers who deserved permanent appointments, also pointing to the performance of one teacher whose subject area, he said, recorded a 100 per cent pass rate over the past three years. Loutin, who is currently on vacation leave, said he had recommended that approximately 32 teachers be granted permanent appointments at the board’s last meeting in June. He said he subsequently learnt that the board had met and issued termination letters to some teachers. “Most of these teachers, when I say most, 99 per cent of them are excellent teachers who are due their permanent appointment,” Loutin said. “I have seen some of the letters that teachers have sent to me, but I would have expressed to them that I have nothing to do with this. “My recommendation for them was for them to be made permanent, so I cannot say why the board would have made that decision,” the principal said. He further alleged an ongoing challenge of recommendations submitted by the principal to the board being disregarded. “I cannot say why the board would have made that decision. But I know that the matter has been reported to the JTA, and the matter has also been reported to the Ministry of Education, and they are conducting their investigation,” Loutin shared. Termination letters seen by Observer Online were all dated October 6, 2026 and stated that the teachers’ employment would end on October 21. The letters, issued by the school’s Board of Management, said the decision followed a review of the teachers’ personnel file, appraisal records, attendance and punctuality, as well as assessment outcomes for classes taught between December 2025 and June 2026. The board said the school’s administration would discuss arrangements for ending the teachers’ employment, including outstanding compensation, applicable benefits and the return of school property. JTA president La Sonja Harrison said the association became aware of the matter last Friday after the affected teachers lodged complaints with its South-East Regional Office. She said the association has since raised the issue at its monthly meeting with the Ministry of Education and is awaiting the outcome of a meeting between the ministry and the school’s board chairman scheduled for next Wednesday. “To our understanding, the teachers would have been engaged for more than a year, and so, having received the letter, the situation is very concerning, egregious to our mind in some case, but as we said, we are awaiting to see what are the outcomes, deliberations, talks, what is coming out of those conversations with the board, and then the association will take it further,” she said. “It is a very deeply troubling matter, extremely egregious if you ask me, but we are awaiting since the ministry assured us that they will be having a meeting on Wednesday concerning the same,” she continued. The JTA president further pointed to provisions under the Code of Regulations for Teachers governing the termination of teachers’ services. “Just as when persons complain that the teachers leave and should give at least three months’ notice. The teachers should receive notice, and the teachers have to receive notice at a particular time because the code tells you that the teacher is engaged and, over a period of a year, three terms, we would carry out the necessary supervisory matters and then engage in an appraisal and terming before the end of the third term, if it is that the school will continue with the services of the teacher or not,” Harrison said. Minister of Education and Youth Senator Dana Morris Dixon told Observer Online that she had been informed of the matter and has since instructed Permanent Secretary Dr Kasan Troupe to investigate the development. She said an update will be provided after receiving the investigation report.