Final bell rings on teacher’s stay of 44 years
A PORT Elizabeth teacher, who retired yesterday after 44 years in the profession, believes the banning of corporal punishment and a poorly performing government department are to blame for the rot in the education system.
Speaking at Dietrich Primary yesterday, Georgina Mungur, 65, called time out on her teaching career, which was spent entirely at the Schauderville school.
Mungur said the education system in the Eastern Cape was failing pupils.
“Previously pupils had to obtain at least 50% to pass, but nowadays, how can we expect them to be successful if they are allowed to pass maths with 20%,”she said.
“Some of the children cannot read, they are not strong enough to proceed to the next grade but they must.”
She said the issues facing the northern areas could be fixed if the department pulled its weight.
“There are many teachers who would love to come back into the system, but the department keeps telling us there is no money.” She said teachers felt let down. “Some of them are just there, they become so despondent.
“I don’t think society values our teachers enough – to them, we teachers are just a number.”
Mungur said she had also seen many behavioural changes among pupils over the years, which she blamed partly on the abolishing of corporal punishment.
“When it was abolished, it became terrible, because children knew they had more rights and would not get a hiding.”
She said education was the key to success but believed it also came with responsibility.
Mungur was born and bred in Schauderville and attended Paterson High until Grade 11.
She went on to study teaching at Dower Training College in Uitenhage in 1971. She started her first teaching job at Dietrich in 1973 when she was 20.
While teaching, she completed matric at St James RC High School. She also qualified at NMMU in education management and as a remedial therapist.
Mungur will not wash her hands entirely of the teaching profession as she will look at other options to give back to the community.
Dietrich Primary deputy principal Naguib Lagerdien said Mungur was an inspiration not only to the younger teachers at the school, but also to the community.