Saluting teachers

Too rarely do we hail the role of teachers at all levels of the education for their crucial role in shaping society by getting people, young and old, to unlock their full potential.

Unfortunately, we are often sidetracked by things like dress codes instead of focusing on the deeper issues that affect the classroom.

Equally, far too often teachers are eclipsed by industrial relations and protest activity. We don’t hear about the teachers who conduct themselves professionally and who do their utmost to create an environment that is conducive to student learning. That role is one of the most important played by teachers.

In today’s world where face-toface contact is all the more valuable given the virtual path of our media, pupils spend a lot more time in the classroom than they do at home.

Sometimes parenting is not readily available or, if it is, is so poor so that teachers assume roles outside their remit. Each must act as a kind of default counsellor and life coach, taking care to spot any vulnerable pupils who may be exposed to social ills. Let us salute them and the work that they are doing.

Teachers have had to contend with changing eras. Standards of behaviour have shifted since colonial times, offering unique opportunities as well as challenges. Sometimes teachers face instances of student violence.

Equally, however, there are truant teachers. According to the Ministry of Education, the Teaching Service Commission has kept track of teachers who are regularly unpunctual or absent on a consistent basis.

According to Minister of Education Anthony Garcia, “We are looking at it and we will be working with the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association to see what we can do.” But the problem with this approach is that the Teaching Service Commission is regarded as too bureaucratic and under-resourced to make a meaningful impact. And sometimes the involvement of trade unions adds an unnecessary political element to matters that should squarely be in the interest of the student, as opposed to the teacher.

It is important to remember that teaching is a profession, even a vocation, and surely not just a job.

As stated by the 1994 UNESCO/ International Labour Organisation Paris guidelines, “Teaching should be regarded as a profession: it is a form of public service which requires of teachers expert knowledge and specialised skills, acquired and maintained through rigorous and continuing study; it also calls for a sense of personal and corporate responsibility for the education and welfare of the pupils in their charge.” This means the State should be concerned with providing teachers, as indeed teachers should be proactive in seeking out opportunities for growth and development, in addition to efficiently handling administrative and disciplinary matters.

It is also true that some policies and guidelines in place may not place enough emphasis on gender, pay equity, violence against teachers and discrimination.

In this stead, we agree with those who argue the recent debate on dress codes is a superficial issue that does not address some of the graver matters facing teachers and students alike.

It is interesting that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has twice highlighted, during his tenure, the role of teachers in his life. The first came at his inauguration in 2015, and more recently his memoir contains a disturbing account of an abusive teacher. Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar this week also drew attention to the importance of teachers, showing just how ubiquitous is the reach of people who help individuals shine.

We salute teachers and call for more support to be given to them.