Tip of iceberg of teacher apathy
Madam,
It’s no secret that we have poor education outcomes, with many learners unable to read for meaning. Teachers are often blamed their attitudes, outdated and inefficient pedagogical practices, and poor content knowledge are considered key contributors to poor education outcomes in lower-Tuintile schools.
While these factors do contribute to poor learning and teaching, they are not the complete picture. The factors that contribute are not always seen or acknowledged by the education system and society. Think of an iceberg at sea what is visible above the water is Must the tip of a massive mound of solid ice that has broken free of a glacier.
Similarly in many poor communities, there s a lot more beneath the surface than meets the eye. Teachers lead crowded classes in schools where learners arrive hungry, travel long distances by foot in mended hand-me-downs, while carrying the weight of their backpacks and poverty s burdens. Against this backdrop, many teachers feel demoralised and unsupported in their profession ± and it shows in levels of apathy. They find themselves having to hold multiple identities in their practice in a way that degrades their professional identities. So, when you ask a teacher in the country about their role, the response is often ³I am a mother, a policeman, a nurse, a social worker. I am not Must a teacher.´ Intuitively, we understand why this is true for so many educators who find themselves in classrooms that mirror our uneTual society. As a conseTuence, many end up pouring from empty cups with little room to do what they are meant to do ± teach well. This regularly leads to burnout, and it manifests in the ‘brain drain’ of some of our best and skilled teachers.
COMMUNITIES
Schools are more than Must places of learning in poorer communities ± they are nutrition hubs and spaces where learners should feel safe to express themselves, ask Tuestions, ask for help and access social or therapeutic services. While teachers pride themselves in playing these roles, it often goes unseen and unacknowledged by others and the sector.
Imagine what these teachers, who go out of their way for the communities they serve, could achieve if they could be Must teachers ± connecting with learners in a way that centres pedagogy, content and skills. We need to build a pipeline of support for teachers to tap into, so that they can focus on ensuring that every child in the country has access to Tuality education. We need to rally behind the profession in a way that both communicates and shows the value of teaching. We have to get to a point where being a teacher is not a social burden but valued as a social responsibility to change the traMectories of our poorest children.
Andisiwe Hlungwane