The Ministry of Education has issued a dictum to head teachers to discipline errant teachers who transgress the required standard of attendance, punctuality and preparedness.
According to a Ministry of Education press release, Chief Education Officer Olato Sam is urging head teachers to properly manage the attendance, punctuality and preparedness of the teaching staff; and if the necessary disciplinary measures have not been taken against the errant teachers, the ministry will institute disciplinary actions against the heads and deputies.
In his address at a recent Heads of Schools Meeting, Sam said, “the reality is that the system can no longer condone these malpractices if we are to make serious progress.”
The CEO reiterated that while the education system has made progress, it is an indictment of the system that in 2014 it is still grappling with issues of teacher attendance. Therefore, the ministry has devised programmes and initiatives to move the system forward and at the core of this is the “teacher factor”, the release quoted him as saying. “I maintain that we cannot see true progress in education if our teachers continue to arrive late, unprepared and abuse their annual leave concessions,” he said.
Education managers, the CEO said, must establish a work ethic that makes attendance, punctuality and preparedness priorities in their schools as these are the key pillars upon which improved output depends. More so, Sam said, head teachers are encouraged to inform their teachers of this new expectation and also to develop the requisite monitoring mechanisms to ensure the standards are met.
September is Education Month.
