In-service training vital for teachers

I READ with much interest the letter titled, “Higher education needs proper foundation” by G’bandze of Lae (The National, Aug 3).
Just as the foundation and material quality of a building are crucial, so is a regular and systematic quality maintenance programme to ensure safety and durability.
Despite the need for reforms in the teacher training curriculum for primary school teachers and other related issues, I believe G ‘bandze got across a very important point regarding in-service programmes for our teachers.
This is most crucial and within any school administrator’s jurisdiction and power to dwell upon.
Long gone are the days when teachers look forward to well-organised and interesting in-service training weeks.
Today it’s either for a selected and privileged few or hard to come by within a normal school set up for varying reasons or rather, excuses.
Clearly, this is the area of concern which I think is letting our teachers down in schools.
Having been a chalkie once, I can confidently attest to that.
My belief is that such quality teacher training for field officers could only be most effective if the following areas are critically re-evaluated and monitored.
Firstly, quality teacher appointments:  there is usually a qualified senior teacher to oversee and mentor several other officers within a subject area or school. He or she is a competent, qualified officer expected to maintain and sustain quality standards in teachers and subject knowledge and ensuring students are learning effectively.
He or she is an academic-driven officer, considerate and tolerant of workplace pressure and other factors, personal or professional.
He or she is constantly interested in education issues, trends and development needs for both teachers and students in the school, is vigilant and pro-active.
These and many other areas of in-service training (educational, professional or enrichments) are duties delegated to heads of subject departments, senior teachers and deputy heads or deputy (academic) in secondary schools.
Principals and head teachers are the driving forces behind these initiatives and have no choice but ensure this happens if we want to maintain high quality teaching and learning.
The appointments must therefore be handled with professionalism and done on merit following proper and established procedures.
You hardly hear of TSC special gazette on advertised positions nowadays. Appointments have somehow become private enterprises for only certain officers in the system.
Secondly, the standards officers: generally speaking they are responsible in ensuring quality education standards.
Suitable appointments are also ensured when teachers are critically scrutinized in performance.
We also wonder why there are hardly any regular visits to some schools by some from this group and how accurate are their reporting on standards is anyone’s guess.
How can we be assured that primary schools are preparing quality and competent grade 8 students for lower secondary standard (let alone grades 10 and 12 in secondary schools), if schools are not regularly inspected?
One thing is clear for concerned parents and citizens: that teacher in-house training or in-services can be the most resourceful and readily-available tool in our schools at very minimal costs, yet can enhance quality teaching and learning standards, and can also improve teachers’ competency, confidence and knowledge of subject content in core subjects.

Retired Chalkie
Madang