Happy teachers seen as key to good education

By GLENDA AWIKIAK
THE lack of teacher training and the failure to properly address their welfare will continue to stand in trhe way of efforts to achieve the global agenda of quality education by 2030, says PNG Teachers’ Association general secretary Ugwailubu Mowana.
He said the quality of the education system would only improve when teachers were well trained and looked after.
“This quality education that we all continue to speak about all comes back to the quality of our teachers, and the quality of teaching and learning in schools,” Mowana said.
“I want to emphasise that teachers are the elements of change and quality teachers are required in the country.
“The Government must invest through public investment programmes to train more teachers in the country to ensure the teacher-pupil ratio is managed.
“Currently, especially in town and city schools, the classrooms are overcrowded. Teachers are teaching in front of 50-60 students.
“In some schools in Port Moresby, there are 100-plus students in a classroom.
“When we are addressing quality education in PNG, what we are talking about if the classrooms are overcrowded?
“The Government has to invest in teacher training to ensure that there are quality teachers in the country to promote teaching and learning.
“Teachers must firstly be trained properly.
“All the ongoing complaints that we hear about – trade certificates, teacher inspection and registration and all these issues which challenge quality education – will no longer be there.
“When teachers are not being looked after well, still, the quality education will not be achieved.”
Mowana said the teachers’ welfare, terms and conditions, and emoluments, including their leave fares, should be paid on time.