Education is key to success. Gaining knowledge is the only path to solving problems and achieving goals. Without knowledge, our reasoning and capacity to do things are stunted, and without the Teacher’s, Instructors and Educators, knowledge cannot be transmitted. This implies that those who possess the tools to build and empower the minds and brains of the future generation should be treasured and encouraged. The issue of underappreciation and undermining of the efforts of teachers should be a topic of concern for any society that wishes to build and insure their future. Teachers and Instructors have been constantly overlooked and sometimes condescended in their profession. In some parts of the world, the profession is looked down upon, owing to the meager pay that comes with it. It is sad to say that in this era which we find ourselves, fewer and fewer children wish to venture into the profession of teaching.
Below are some of the factors that contribute to the discouragement in the teaching profession;
Wages: In some parts of the world, especially in developing societies, teachers are one of the low earners. They put in more work and dedication, carry extra work loads, and are most times paid less for their efforts. Educational institutions expect the best from their teachers, but most times are unwilling to give them the best form of treatment. Some institutions don’t insure their teachers, they don’t provide bonuses or benefits other than the hourly or monthly wages. This is one of the primary reasons for the discouragement in the teaching profession.
Protection: Some Schools and educational institutions don’t protect their teachers because they sometimes feel teachers are expendable. There have been cases of parents harassing teachers on the grounds of some unproven ill treatment towards their kids. In some cases, when an institution is sued because of wrong accusations on their teacher, and the educational board is invited to investigate, sometimes the school leaves the teacher to hang dry. Some institutions would rather fire a teacher on the grounds of complaints or suspense, rather than loose a single student or risk waiting until the suspect is proven guilty. This applies to most other companies in other fields of profession.
Authority: With the trend in wokeness and indiscipline, and the laxity of parents in their responsibility of raising their kids right, teachers are becoming more powerless even in the classroom. Gone are the days when students greet their teachers on the hall way or when they step into the classroom, or accord them some significant form of respect. In todays institutions, more authority have been taken from teachers and handed over to the students. Teachers have no right to punish a student for any wrong doing, they can’t yell at or scold a student for any reason, they sometimes can’t even object to the students demands in the classroom. It gets worse in the senior high schools, where students sometimes come with their smartphones into the classroom, they are on the internet and social media apps while the teacher teaches, they mouth profanities and talk in uncivilized manners, most times dress indecently, all under the noses of the powerless teacher who now tries to ignore all these variables and teach, while constantly glancing at the clock, wondering when the period will be over, just so the nightmare ends.
Some societies are unconsciously breeding a caliber of students who have no dream and ambition because it was already stolen from them before they knew what it was. Kids no longer wish to embark on professions with actual positive impact in the society, rather they are in pursuit of goals that will bring them fame. This desire for fame has occupied the minds of youngsters, making them perceive education as irrelevant, there by creating room for the disregard towards their teachers and instructors. Education is no longer as competitive as it used to be, a time when kids wanted to outshine each other in intellectual properties, rather its now more of glamor and popularity in school. Sometimes it’s difficult to foresee a bright future rested on the shoulders of some kids born in these current times, kids drowning in the well of ceaseless media brainwashing, kids with less exposure to reality, entitled kids with no morality and discipline because some parents or guardians are unable to do their jobs. Most times teachers are the ones who feel the brunt of these chaotic behaviors in the classroom.
It is crucial to secure the future of every society by creating favorable working conditions for teachers and instructors. If fewer and fewer children aspire to become teachers because of the discouraging attributes associated with the profession, then who will pass down the knowledge to the next generation. The emergence of Artificial intelligence, media or other internet based learning platforms, cannot replace the integral position teachers occupy in the society as primary educational tools for transmitting knowledge to the students.
By Emmanuel Orindu
Emmalase