Up to teachers now

The particular course we took then was known as “three p’s, - philosophy, psychology and practice in education. Fast-forwar ding at the University of Toronto, as I took courses in educational administration, sociology of education, social psychology of deviance, political elites, etc, I knew such controversies will never end, mainly because of the competing interests embracing the education system – some more relentless and powerful than others. Harsher critics question the education system as one for “just passing exams and filling jobs in a capitalist system.” There are also never-ending debates over capitalism itself, compassionate or otherwise.

(The debates are included in my new book on inequality and education) Notwithstanding, this country’s educational objectives stubbornly remain quite lofty, generously aimed at serving the economy. And more often than not, apparently ignoring the fact that in the middle of all this, are our teachers. Given the growing failures of so many of our institutions, difficulties with church and family, and the painful growth of juvenile crimes and the vital need for having students graduating with better values and character to find jobs, yes, but also to build their communities and country. The government policy is: “The educational system must endeavour to develop a spiritually, morally, physically, intellectually and emotionally sound individual that ensures that cultural, ethnic, class and gender needs are appropriately addressed.” How can these “needs” be addressed without having teachers fully recognised and in the middle of all the planning? Further, as I have been saying for several years, teachers have to be trained and prepared with added incentives for the under-performing, delinquent-driven schools.

Training all teachers the same way to fit all schools will no longer work. All schools, all districts, are not the same. Having been a primary school teacher, researcher and more recently a member of the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), I found convincing evidence that such a sling-shot, “bad-fit” approach cannot produce the results expected.

Checking the several educational plans issued since 1959, I found the plans generally spoke about building schools, changing curriculum, increasing student intake, etc- seeing teachers as mere mechanics for delivery rather than having them as engineers, appropriately trained, supported and inspired to take up the fresh challenges facing a changing, multi-sectoral society. An attempt was made in a 1964 report from a cabinet-appointed committee on the “Role and Status of the Teaching Profession.” That report, useful in many parts, stopped short of really describing the changing student population and the requirement for appropriately-trained teachers. Even then Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams, in his 1974 review of the 1967 Education Plan, listed seven objectives but none on fitting the teachers more appropriately to the tasks facing them. It was then and still is, training all teachers the same way to fit all schools.

Unworkable! While we frown on the evils outside the school, the challenging role of teachers now is to help reduce the deviance and corruption in the society by instilling the required values, attitudes and behaviours in their students so that rather than saying we have lost the future generation, we should prepare the next generation to save the society from further degradation. It is to the teachers we must now turn.

So many of our public institutions -as TUTTA itself has pointed out – have failed this younger generation.

It is almost almost as if we have reached the point at which we have to start building the society from scratch. And it is to the teachers we must now turn.

They need to be listened to, taken care of and supported as never before. There is no other profession which has the capability of influencing children’s attitude, behaviour and aspirations than teachers. It is up to teachers in kindergarten, primary and secondary schools now to fight on for a better country.

A tough challenge, but they must be given all the support they need to do so – beyond mere words and promises.