Dear Editor,
To my mind the increase in the training of teachers will not decrease the ultimate problem with regard to rectifying this plight in our society. Undoubtedly, professional training is indispensable to a teaching career.
Auxiliary factors in this respect for furthering our educational system are profound commitment and dedication. I feel teaching, which is a great discipline, should be regarded as a vocation and not necessarily a profession.
Moreover, the teacher should possess a good command of English concomitant with excellent preparation of work in order to explain and illustrate accurately what he or she has to teach the students. We ought to remember we teach the student and not the subject. Hence assimilated learning would take place.
To help facilitate this situation, teachers should be paid reasonable salaries commensurate with qualifications, experience and efficiency. Also, they should enjoy relevant benefits, conditions of work, and regular attendance on the job, must be taken into account, if immediate promotions are to be made.
These essential ingredients to help ameliorate the level of education behove the Ministry of Education to examine them and take a definite decision. Part–time teachers must also be included, as they too are making a sterling contribution to the system especially at the secondary level. Such teachers, who are sometimes frustrated or disillusioned, are often being paid by the Ministry of Education (very late).
Furthermore, the situation is worsened, when many teachers from time to time emigrate overseas to assume better positions which may be available. If all is well to some extent and teachers are found to be deficient, then they just cannot retain the job.
Unless pragmatic decisions are made fairly soon to correct the situation, then it will end up like ploughing the sands.
Yours faithfully,
Autry A. Fernandes
Tutor – French
