The letters column in this publication, since its inception in 1986, has served the community as a forum where all manner of thoughts, ideas, information and valuable historical knowledge are dispensed. The online edition has allowed for a subsidiary forum where readers – there is a plethora of regulars – can add their two cents, which range from insightful to downright ridiculous. Of course, one is cautiously aware that political party hacks on both sides of the divide will not forego the opportunity to exploit platforms such as this one, by fiercely defending any subject that does not find favour with a peeved contributor, whilst simultaneously attempting to advance their party’s objectives.
A casual perusal of the offerings over the last week (as of writing, Monday, 30th January 2023) reveals myriad subjects, running the gamut from who should be the next Commissioner of Police to drawing awareness to a multi-billion fraud in a sister Caricom state; from a comprehensive missive detailing the conflagration of schools dating back to 1997 and a furtive plea for their proper restoration to questioning the Speaker of the House’s decision to ban the use of the words ‘corruption and incompetence’ in Parliament; from the high cost of living to endorsement of last Friday’s editorial “The Princes Street sluice door” by a former mayor who was the recipient of the inevitable feisty political criticism.
Among the other contributions were two penned by teachers. In a letter, published last Sunday and titled “Rethink Saturday maths initiative” the writer, obviously fearful of retribution, requested his/her name be withheld. The teacher lamented, “As a teacher in Region 4, I am putting my hands in my pocket to purchase chalk, stationery, sanitary supplies for my class, materials to teach and now you are telling me to go in to teach on Saturdays?
“Teachers are working under the fear of the parents, officials and everyone else. This noble profession takes so much from you and gives nothing but promises in return.” Whilst noting that the new initiative was very taxing, the scribe pointed out that frustration was very high in the profession and while the staff at the Ministry of Education get paid overtime for working late, “Teachers leaving at 5 in the afternoon close to NGSA don’t even get a snack.”
The second letter, signed by Atika Stephens was published last week Tuesday, 24th January, under the caption, “The greatest human resource to any country is the teacher”. It focused on the recent hotbed topic of corporal punishment in the classroom. Ms Stephens’s seven-paragraph missive was penned whilst “wearing two caps” as educator and parent, “with the aim of having both worlds understand the actions of each other and hope that situations of this nature cease within the education system.”
The teacher probed the purpose and role of corporal punishment, and its decades-old history of use in the Caribbean. Her dissection provoked a string of questions to ponder. “I know that as mandated, if lashes are to be administered it must be done by the head teacher or deputy, or some other senior teacher, but again to what extent is this acceptable for a parent? Do parents believe that teachers just come to work one day and decide that violence towards a child will be the order? Do parents ever question what has caused the teacher to react in the manner? Do teachers ever ask themselves, were I this child’s parent, would I want the same for him or her? How do we settle the feud [between parent(s) and teacher(s)]? Does a parent believe that it is acceptable to choose violence in response to their child being beaten by the teacher? Do they think about the
repercussions of their actions? What if their blow is lethal? Do they understand the psychological effects their response would have on their child, or the record they would set for themselves or child when another teacher has to deal with the student, or another school has to accept him or her? What about the psychological damage caused by losing friends or feeling alienated because of the actions of the parent?”
In conclusion, Ms Stephens observed that the home is where a child is initially exposed to discipline and learning, and it’s those instilled values which will determine their actions and reactions to situations away from home. The teacher added that delinquent teachers must be held accountable for their actions, since “the greatest resource to any country is the teacher.”
The two letters from the teachers have provided us with much food for thought. In the first instance, we are made aware of what could be possible violations of labour laws by mandating teachers to work on Saturdays, and the lack of materials available for teachers to effectively perform their duties. In the second letter, the writer points out the significance of the home in instilling discipline, the lack of which we are painfully reminded of on every occasion that we venture out on the streets. Ms Stephens’ examination of corporal punishment highlights that we are dealing with a situation that demands immediate intervention.
Over time, the importance of the role played by teachers in our society has been increasingly diminished. Recent governments have been off handed in their collective bargaining negotiations or rather the lack thereof, to the point where their actions can be deemed as dismissive. The myopic approach of the authorities has drawn conclusions that their seeming absence of concern for the well-being of the teachers does not affect them since their children are beneficiaries of private education and expensive after-school extra lessons.
Teachers, whose pivotal experience and knowledge we have taken for granted for too long, have been the silent cornerstones of nation building. The more we continue to treat these important contributors with disdain, the faster the pace of their migration will increase, much to the further detriment of our society. When will we sit up and take notice? Perhaps when we finally have to import teachers.
