Education Minister Fayval Williams says the migration of Jamaican teachers to fill vacancies overseas has slowed.
Speaking at Wednesday's post Cabinet media briefing, Mrs Williams said there are fewer advertisements for posts to be filled locally and the level of anxiety among schools has diminished.
She suggested that the ministry's locum tenens policy has helped in that regard, since teachers on long leave can now return to the classroom and be paid to teach for that period in addition to being paid for their leave.
Mrs. Williams said her ministry will be conducting a census in schools in October to get a clearer picture of the level of teacher migration.
Leading up to the new school year, there had been concerns about the negative effects of teacher migration on the education system.
School dress code
In the meantime, the Education Minister has said, while the ministry will set general standards, school boards will have the final say on the specific rules concerning the length and size of students' uniforms.
She noted that each school board has a student representative and or a parent representative, so a consultative process with all stakeholders should address the issues.
She also reiterated that schools are not supposed to lock out students for dress code or any other violations.
Mrs Williams was responding to questions about the ministry's position on a school dress code at Wednesday morning's post Cabinet media briefing.
The Ministry of Education is in consultations to finalise a national grooming policy for public schools.
