Give teachers what they are owed

IT is becoming a norm for teachers to be subjected to issues relating to salaries and leave fares on a yearly basis.
In the first quarter of the year, the media took on the issue of teachers being put off the payroll because their resumption forms did not get to Port Moresby, either on time or not at all.
At the end of the academic year, it was their leave entitlements that became the issue.
Now, we have the case of several hundred teachers having had their pay cut or deductions made without any explanation.
And what is ticking most off, is that they are unable to verify their pay details because they do not have access to that vital piece of document, the pay slip.
Teachers used to get their pay slip online, but for some unexplained reason that service stopped without notice.
It is common knowledge that teachers put in a lot of hours of extra work to get our children educated. Much of that work is accompanied by harsh travelling and living conditions.
Many teachers work with poor contracts and pay.
They often live in difficult conditions, and lack appropriate initial training, continuous professional development, and consistent support.
They are sometimes victims of discrimination and even violence.
The saying is true that “a teacher is never an ordinary person (and) construction and destruction can be produced in his lap”.
In many countries, teachers are well paid and their profession is held in high regard, reflecting society’s appreciation of the work they do to build character and develop good citizens.
The importance of the work teachers do is underscored by the presence in public offices, parliament, boardrooms, courts, and sports fields of successful people whose careers grew out of a seed sown in a classroom.
People speak many languages, solve complicated mathematical problems and win international accolades because a teacher put in the hard yards at some point in their life.
Teaching is important and it is what makes us understand everything around us.
This year’s theme of World Teachers’ Day – the right to education means the right to a qualified teacher – reminds us that the single most important factor determining the quality of education a child receives is the quality of his teacher.
For all these things we should be expected to at least show appreciation, and one way of doing that is simply to ensure that the teachers are fairly rewarded for the work that they do, and that when something is owed to them we should ensure that they get it in full.
It is not easy to find a teacher who will be willing to teach without getting paid fortnightly, and not just any teacher but an experienced teacher.
Teachers play an extraordinary part in the lives of children in the formative years of their development and the importance of teachers is something that cannot be understated.
If the education authorities believe this, then they should ensure that teachers and the teaching profession get adequate support.
It is time to put in place policies that safeguard and reinforce the status of teachers, and that means improving the efficiency and effectiveness of education systems at every level.
If the teachers are put off the payroll, most will walk away from the classroom, leaving the students to suffer.
Looking after teachers is looking after the children. Let’s not forget that.