Reward teachers’ sacrifices

Editorial

EVERY year, the world marks World Teachers’ Day on Oct 5 (which is tomorrow) where everyone celebrates the limitless contributions made by teachers around the world.
Day after day, year in and year out, these dedicated women and men guide and accompany students through the world of learning, helping them discover and fulfil their potential.
In doing so, teachers not only help shape the individual futures of millions of children; they also help shape a better world for all.
Teachers are a critical foundation of every society’s long-term strength – providing children, young people and adults with the knowledge and skills they need to fulfil their potential.
But around the world, far too many teachers don’t have the freedom and support they need to do their important jobs.
The theme of this year’s World Teachers’ Day is “Young Teachers: The future of the Profession” recognising the critical importance of reaffirming the value of the teaching mission.
How can we recruit these new teachers and attract them to the vital profession of teaching when around the world, so many teachers are undertrained, underpaid and undervalued?
Many teachers still work with inadequate 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 violent attacks. Teaching could be an attractive, first-choice profession – if teachers were valued equal with the immense value they provide to our children, and if their professional status as educators reflected the enormous impact their profession has on our shared future.
That means providing them with continuing training and development to support them in their critical role of educating all children, in all contexts – including the poorest, most remote communities, and in communities in crisis.
It means compensating them properly and giving them the tools they need to do their indispensable jobs.
It means putting in place policies that safeguard and reinforce the status of teachers – beginning by giving teachers a place at the table and an active role in decision-making that affects their work.
And it means improving the efficiency and effectiveness of education systems at every level.
Teaching is one of the most complicated jobs today.
It demands broad knowledge of subject matter, curriculum, and standards; enthusiasm, a caring attitude, and a love of learning; knowledge of discipline and classroom management techniques; and a desire to make a difference in the lives of young people.
And if we should add, teaching should not be considered as simply a job but a dedication. A good teacher is one who wishes to share, contribute, to develop good characters. A teacher probably spends more time with a child than a parent so has a strong influence. Government is on the right track, they are investing in education with the tuition fee free education.
The government has given to the children of PNG access to education by creating more schools; primary schools into secondary schools as that is the way to accommodate accessibility.
Two things have since come up with the introduction of tuition fee free policy – increase in enrolment and overcrowding in classrooms making the teacher to pupil ratio become unmanageable, according to teachers and education experts.
Studies have shown that the single most important factor determining the quality of the education a child receives is the quality of his/her teacher.
If the Government believe this, then they must ensure that teachers and the teaching profession get adequate support.

One thought on “Reward teachers’ sacrifices

  • I agree with the massage above, and also Teachers are very important Peoples who makes Children’s futures bright so the Government and stakeholders have to see how the important Teachers is and treated them well with their Family’s and our country future will be brighter than other part of the World.

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