ON Monday, teachers in Guyana joined the rest of the world in celebrating International Teachers Day. It is in order for the world to stop for a day to recognise a profession to which we owe a great deal. In fact, we should stop more often than a single day to pay tribute to those charged with nurturing the minds of our children and young adults.
It is the teachers who prepare successive generations for the world of work and ultimately to aid in national development. There is a reason that many of us may forget a lot of people with whom we come into contact but seldom forget our teachers.
The teaching profession is a noble one. The outstanding teacher is one who is drawn to the profession out of a conviction and love for imparting knowledge. Those who become teachers purely out of economic need will soon leave or are likely to be mediocre at best. Teaching is an art that begins with a love for the common people; it begins deep inside. That’s why its integrity should be protected at all cost.
Today critics bemoan the quality of our teachers at all levels of the education system. In fact many blame the poor quality of our teachers for the rapid decline in education. That is a harsh judgement, for many teachers give their all beyond the call of duty. There are still teachers in the system who uphold the best of our teaching tradition. The fact of the matter is that our teachers of yesteryear have set a high bar which challenges our current crop of practitioners. But there can be no doubt that we still boast a cadre of teachers who continue to make us proud.
Having said the above, there is still room for improvement. Given the harsh economic realities and the relatively low remuneration, teachers find it very difficult to make ends meet. This is bound to affect morale and commitment. No matter how committed or well-trained a teacher is, economic vulnerability is bound to affect the quality of their output. When that is coupled with poor working conditions, one can understand the consequent underperformance. Government and the society at large must give our teachers the proper tools needed for effective execution of their tasks.
Yet teachers must take some responsibility for the falling standards. We recruit our teachers from the wider society and they often bring with them some of the negative qualities from that society. That is a fact that cannot be wished away. But once you enter that classroom, it should become obvious that you are now expected to rise above the failings of the wider society. There is something about the classroom that must summon the teacher to reach for a higher plane. If this fails to happen, then you belong to another profession. Teacher training is important to the formation of the good teacher, but self-motivation and self-training are critical.
It is indeed heartening to see the new Minister of Education and his government investing more in teachers, not only in terms of better salaries, but crucially in terms of training. But we feel that more emphasis should be placed on mentoring. Bring back those accomplished retired teachers into the system, not just as classroom teachers but as mentors to the younger and newer teachers. Encourage more team teaching which pairs newer and more matured teachers.
So as we celebrate our teachers, we say thanks for your perseverance in the face of gloom. Thanks for continuing to want to teach. Thanks for making the most with the little you have at your disposal. Now we ask a little more of you; make a leap for higher heights. Make Guyana prouder of you. When you walk into that classroom tomorrow, resolve to be the agent of change you are meant to be.
Our society cries out for a rebirth which must begin in our education system. Our schools must become nurseries for the new Guyana, which we have always craved. If we are to break out of the cycle of impoverishment and underdevelopment, our education must lead the way as it once did. In this process, our teachers must once again rise to the challenge. The mission must be one that goes beyond individual classrooms and schools; it must be all-encompassing. Restore Guyana to the pinnacle of educational excellence.