Jamaica: Morgan Encourages Schools to Facilitate Parent Attendance at PTA Meetings

Senator Marlon Morgan, the Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, addressed the Region 4 Principals’ Leadership Conference and Appreciation Luncheon 2026 on Thursday at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James, Jamaica. During his speech, he emphasized the importance of schools preparing and sharing annual calendars well in advance to enable parents to plan for school activities and Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings.

Morgan highlighted that early communication is particularly crucial for working parents. He stated, “See how best you can put those in place and have them disseminated. For example, when the parents come in for orientation…we are able to give them the proposed calendar of events so that they can more adequately plan for the respective school events because we do not want to countenance the heap of complaints, school leaders, in relation to a parent not being able to make themselves available.”

The senator’s comments come in the wake of ongoing discussions about parental involvement in schools, which were sparked by remarks from the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA). At the JTA’s 62nd annual conference in Trelawny last week, President LaSonja Harrison suggested that the Government consider withholding Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) benefits from parents who do not regularly attend PTA meetings.

In response to this suggestion, the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) published an article in the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday, rejecting the proposal. NPTAJ President Stewart Jacobs described the suggestion as discriminatory, arguing that PATH support is intended to assist citizens and should not be used to hold parents “at ransom.” He also pointed out various challenges that hinder PTA participation, such as inconvenient meeting times, lengthy sessions, and frequent meetings, which can create barriers for resource-limited parents trying to manage their responsibilities.

While Morgan did not directly address the PATH proposal during his speech, he underscored the significance of parental attendance at PTA meetings. He stated, “We know that people have work obligations that they have to attend to. We know that a parent has a suite of other things that they have to attend to. But we want our parents to be demonstrable partners in education with us and be there and be actively involved in the life of their child. And that is why appearing at the parent consultation sessions, coming to PTA meetings, and so on, is of paramount importance.”

Furthermore, Morgan noted that providing schedules early allows parents the opportunity to seek permission from their employers for time away from work, if necessary. He explained, “If a parent has to approach their employer to organise for and make provision for time off on a particular day, whether departmental leave or otherwise, they’re in a position, in terms of advance notice, so to do. [It] is very important.”

Overall, Morgan’s remarks reflect a broader conversation about enhancing parental engagement in education and addressing the barriers that may prevent parents from participating in school activities.