Underpaid teachers just one of the larger issues besetting schools

Dear Editor, The Sunday Stabroek of 07 July, 2019 carried a most thought provocative analysis of the 2019 results of the Grade Six Assessment, during which it correctly pointed out that there was little in these results for the Ministry of Education to be so overly optimistic in its review.

On the contrary, instead of applauding what in fact was a mediocre output of the education system, there should have been expressed appropriate concern for the performance shortfall.

And while there has been the usual elation about high achievers, there are substantive reservations about those aspects of their development that they would have sacrificed. As one correspondent to SN’s same edition noted, while observing that “the desire to excel is fuelling extra lessons which places a further financial burden on parents”, there was the concomitant “deprivation of recreational space so important for our children’s physical and emotional development.”

Quite correctly, Mr Ally emphasised: “Too much emphasis is placed on cognitive development at the expense of the other domains of knowledge such as effective and sensory motor.”

There could not be a more fundamental observation. For if it applies to the high achievers, then we should all be very worried about this emaciative effect on the wider population of under-achievers.

The situation being discussed can be regarded as an emergency and should be addressed with the urgency it deserves.

One reservation this writer has however, is putting the blame for under-performance by the schools on ‘managerial deficiencies for which the Head of the school should be held accountable’.

This submission therefore invites attention to much larger organisational issues than the managerial competency of Heads.

For one, the latter has little or no say in the quality of teacher assigned to his/her school team.

Then there are other deficits in material support for which the Ministry is responsible – as is observed – for participation in sports for example.

Importantly also is the range of variable emotions and behaviours that come with each child to the classroom.

The question arises as to the capacity of each teacher in turn to recognise, and effectively deal with such sensitive situations, which also would involve encounters with parents. So it is no longer a simple question of teaching in isolation; but it is in these turbulent times, also having to mentor, counsel a number of disturbed students; of having to cope with intrusive parents, whether individually, or at larger Parent-Teacher meetings.

So it comes round to Mr Hydar Ally’s very relevant observation for the need for “engaging in …. Serious diagnostic investigation as to what may be the causative factors for the low performance….”

Except that such an ‘investigation’ should not be the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Education. The latter must engage inclusively the Guyana Teachers’ Union, who would be expected to articulate the strengths and weaknesses of their respective school teams. The GTU must also have observations to make on the related training programmes at the Cyril Potter College of Education and the University of Guyana respectively, and together with the Ministry of Education agree how much more creative capabilities are required for coping with the stressors obtaining in (and outside) the classroom.

Importantly also there needs to be a survey of parents’ concerns and fears coming out of their own social and emotional circumstances.

Given the future that these generations must face, and hopefully, thrive in, we simply cannot help but conduct a most comprehensive ‘assessment’ of the structure and related productivity of our education system – which will obviously involve the Private Schools component.

Intricated in all the above is the issue of how motivated are our teachers, who continue to be underpaid, when compared with the mass of public servants who do not have to be ‘assessed’; with the minimal percentage of those who have to compose critical reports; with those, who more often than not, correspond with clients they do not know or meet; with those who are promoted without a substantive formal performance appraisal exercise, as they hardly are required to achieve targets or meet deadlines. Amongst these anyhow is the expanding group of ‘Contracted Employees’ who enjoy the benefit of gratuity every six months in employment, while contradictorily, benefitting from across-the-board increases offered by Government.

The system therefore does not identify high achievers amongst public servants.

In the meantime, one wonders what actual commendation is offered by the Ministry for schools which produce high achievers; in addition to ‘assessing’ the reasons for the announced success.

In the meantime, teachers continue to be cramped into the most anachronistic job hierarchy of any comparable compensation structure in the world.

The following are samples: SS-Salary Scales Obviously the above are not scales, but fixed salaries – but for how long? It defies any logic for a compensation structure.

How does a Temporary Unqualified Assistant differ in capability from those in Grade TS1?

How could Temporary appointments be placed in a Salary Scale?

More importantly, how could ‘Temporary’ a formal appointment in any employment establishment – compounded with the contradiction of a salary scale, on which the maximum at TS2(C) is lower than the Minimum?

After all is said and done, in the interest of the current and next generations, there is need for the most comprehensive series of engagements amongst the Ministry of Education, the Guyana Teachers’ Union, the Cyril Potter College of Education, University of Guyana, Parents/Teachers Associations and other identified analysts, with a view to creating a substantive reformation of educational content, its delivery and related issues, particularly in light of meeting the demands of a dynamic new industrial, business and technological environment, come 2020 and beyond.

These engagements must be attended with an openmindedness that probably was never indulged in before. It should not be a matter of defending turf, but a commitment to being creative and exploring new ideas, to the point of realising them.

Yours faithfully, E.B. John