Give teachers the honour they deserve

Editorial

TEACHING, as is often mentioned, is a noble profession.
It is a mother of all other occupations.
One compares a teacher to a potter “who delicately shapes our impressionable minds and molds it into a vessel that defines our perception and ambitions”.
Their importance is such that each year we set aside a day to remember teachers.
Last Friday, our 56,000 teachers were saluted and honoured for their contribution to national development.
Teachers have always been respected in all societies because of the work they do in developing and nurturing young people.
They take over the roles of parents and mentors when a child enters a school compound.
It is not an easy task to be looking after so many children in the classroom and trying to understand what is going through their minds all at the same time.
Children come from different family backgrounds and upbringings and trying to understand them, and respond to their needs, individually in the classroom is a huge responsibility.
Teachers are responsible for molding the young delicate minds in their charge.
They are trained to identify the hidden talent and skill in each child and exploit them to the child’s advantage.
The education system, and indeed a country’s future, hinges on the work teachers do in the classroom. We salute and honour them for their tireless efforts.
Their welfare needs to be looked after, especially those serving in remote areas around the country.
Their accommodation, safety and security are often ignored by the school and they are often left to fend for themselves in risky and volatile situations.
Like other public servants posted to remote areas, teachers cannot be expected to carry out their work effectively and properly if they are exposed to dangerous and unstable environments. Their welfare therefore should be a priority for the school board or committee.
Another challenge teachers face is dealing with parents who at times can be very aggressive and exhausting when suggesting how a teacher should do her or his work.
Teachers also need the support and assistance of the Education Department or the church as the employer in carrying out their duties.
For example, there should not be any anomaly in their pay as some were complaining about last week.
The problem should have been identified right away and fixed. It is good to see Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra taking steps to have the pay problem corrected at once.
These teachers or anybody else for that matter do not deserve to be treated that way.
They rightly expect to be paid fairly for the work they do.
It is disappointing that some are facing this pay problem on Teachers’ Day, a day they should be celebrating the recognition given to their noble profession.
Hopefully it is not a reflection of how we as a nation view the important work they do and the role they play in national development. All of us remember all too well the influence teachers had in our lives in that classroom.
We still remember their names and faces as we grown older.
They are that important.