The Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine, has signalled his intention to do something about what he described as the Extra Lessons Industry. As expected, such a bold declaration has engendered swift reaction from various quarters. Clearly, many teachers who depend on the income from extra lessons would not be too happy to see this source of income closed off. In many instances, the teachers earn more income from Extra Lessons than their salaries. Further, the fact that students from the private schools and elite extra lessons are generally doing better at the exams cannot be denied. This in turn forces parents to put more premium on the latter than the formal public schools.
This situation is a direct outgrowth of the decline in education in general. It is a direct consequence of the poor remuneration received by teachers. Even the detractors of teachers have to admit that teachers’ salaries are much too small. It is very difficult to ask teachers to perform the near miracle which they are expected to carry out in the classroom when they constantly have to worry about balancing their personal and family budgets. Like other categories of workers, teachers must have an incentive to drive them to perform at their best.
Then there is the relationship between the quality of teaching in the classroom and the larger unequal output from the system. Many young people enter the teaching profession less out of love for teaching and more as a form of survival. As the students who perform better at the exams fill the spots in the elite professions, the less certified ones are forced into professions such as teaching, nursing and policing, by default. While there has always been difference in performance among students coming from the different social backgrounds, the gap in their ability to function in the work force has never been as great as it is today.
It seems, therefore, that the problem lies in the education system itself. Before we can begin to tackle the Extra Lessons problem, we have to ensure those who are recruited to the profession have the necessary educational standard needed to discharge their duties. While the Teacher’s Training College is expected to train teachers in the art and science of classroom teaching, one cannot expect the college to do remedial work. By the time the candidates get to college, they should be able to give a good account of themselves academically.
Finally, teachers’ salaries have to undergo drastic change. We feel that while other categories of workers should earn equally, given the centrality of education to the overall political economy, the teaching profession should be singled out for special attention. Of course raising the salaries should be tied to improved output from the students, better attitudes in the classroom by teachers, and higher entry standards to the profession.
For now, whatever one’s bias is on this subject, it is unacceptable to have children going to lessons from as early as 6 am and late as 8pm. And it is equally unacceptable for teachers to teach part of the curriculum in the classroom and the other part at the lessons.