Up to publication time, BVI News recorded a tally of seven job openings for educators at the primary and secondary level.

There were openings for four teachers of varying subject disciplines and vacancies for three school principals.

While speaking the House of Assembly recently, Education Minister Sharie de Castro said the territory has lost teachers with an “alarming number of resignations” coming since the start of the school year.

The haemorrhaging of educators was said to be over issues such as a low rate of pay, the increased cost of living, the compensation offered in other countries, insufficient and outdated resources, and a challenging work environment, among others.

She explained the stark disparity in compensation between teachers locally and abroad, with entry-level teachers in the BVI getting just about $34,600 annually while across in the USVI their colleagues will earn $50,000 beginning this August, and further away in Texas, the starting salary is now set at $61,500.00 per annum.

But as the minister described the loss of teachers to other countries, she pointed out that the demands on teachers have only grown over the years.

And while noting that educators play an essential role in the economic development of the Virgin Islands, the minister made an urgent plea for lawmakers to properly address the compensation issues affecting teachers in the territory.