EDUCATION Minister Shaik Baksh is reported to have impressed upon senior teachers recently at a graduation ceremony at Queen’s College the need for effective leadership and sound management to transform the performance of students. The minister is perfectly right. In fact, this is applicable to any organisation or institution because daily experience has shown that wherever there is effective leadership and astute management there is success.
This reminder by Mr. Baksh is timely as many schools are unfortunately poorly managed. In some cases, this is because the administrators simply do not have the ability to properly manage, while in other cases it is because of a lack of commitment and in the worst cases a combination of the two.
Only recently, during a meeting of parents of a secondary school on the West Coast Demerara, the headteacher and seniors kept lamenting that fifth formers are wasting a lot of time and are noisy, especially when teachers are not in the classroom.
Their solution to the problem was that parents must impress upon their children the need to curb this behaviour.
Of course, the parents have a role to play but when the children are actually at school then the teachers are in charge. What seems strange in this scenario is the frequency with which teachers are away from the classroom.
In any case, if children are left unattended, what is to be expected of them? Sit quietly and stay as meek as lambs? That defies logic and all scientific findings governing children’s behaviour.
If adults are left with nothing to do some may behave worse than children.
A proper management system would have had a teacher substitution timetable to take care of the classroom when teachers are absent.
But this is an example of a case of poor leadership and management which is affecting the school system.
The minister pointed out too that the best performing schools often have better organised and prepared teachers and he stressed that all headteachers and their senior staff must inculcate these habits in their teachers to bring out the best in them.
This is a natural and logical outcome because such manifestations are seen in every facet of life – politics, business, industry, health care and other areas.
However, in addition to abilities such as leadership and management skills, a most vital factor is commitment and love of the profession of teaching.
Teachers must demonstrate a deep commitment to the well being and educational and moral upliftment of their students, thereby preparing and equipping them with life skills.
Moulding children is tantamount to moulding the nation and securing its future and those who are tasked with this crucial and serious responsibility cannot and should not display a cavalier attitude.
Dealing with children is never an easy task, especially in today’s world which is filled with distractions and changing values and moral decline. That is why it is more imperative that teachers develop innovative skills to deal with the changes in the society.
However, those skills will only be developed if teachers simply love and enjoy what they are doing rather than going about their work as just another job for material rewards.
Mr. Baksh also noted that all senior teachers would have to do the education management programme and a timeframe would be imposed on those who have not done so.
The aim, he said, is to have quality managers in the school system as quality school managers would generate the desired results.
On this point, the minister urged the graduates not to overemphasise the theoretical aspects of their training, but to focus on creating a balance between theory and practice to improve students’ understanding of concepts and their learning outcomes.
He also appealed to senior teachers to be mentors to their junior colleagues, encouraging them to strive to understand the varying abilities of their students and guiding them on ways to effectively impart their lessons to these students.
The minister and his ministry are certainly moving in the right direction to address the deficiencies within the education system, but one cannot expect a miracle.
What is paramount is the fact that these are being acknowledged and addressed.