Teacher: Poor conditions leads to poor performances

 A PRIMARY school principal is pointing the finger at teachers’ pay and conditions for a drop in the education standards highlighted by some school results.

Kindeng Primary School headmaster Timbi Kumbamang said students’ performance depended on teachers’ performance which depended on their work conditions.

Happy teachers, he said, naturally performed well.

Kumbamang was responding to comment made by Education Department Secretary Michael Tapo last week when he highlighted a general dip in the performance by students and indicated that teachers were responsible.

Kumbamang said this was not cause as there were many areas of concern the Education Department needed to look at.

Kumbamang said the key areas for teachers were pay increase, better welfare and proper accommodation.

“Tapo should have highlighted these areas and not giving all sorts of reasons,” he said.

“We can give the best of our ability if only we are well taken care of by the government,” he said.

He said that Tapo forgot to raise those points.

“Look at the tax we are paying the government from our salaries.

“After deductions, we pay another 10% VAT on the food that we are buying from the shops,” Kumbamang said.

“There are many points which teachers have to discuss with their superiors on how to run and deliver quality education to the nation.”