A school in a state of inertia

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday September 15, 2025 12:48

A school in a state of inertia emphasises the problems bedevilling the teaching profession while downplaying the efficacy of the teaching profession in problem-solving and the cultivation of positive attitudes among students. The right attitude determines the altitude of a school. Schools should not only be anchored on hope but on the execution of a school turnaround plan focusing on maximising students’ gains in a teaching and learning setting. The journey towards academic prosperity begins with setting high expectations for students and staff. Schools should never doubt the power of teachers to teach and the ability of students to learn.

It is saddening, however, to note that many underachieving public schools are stuck in a quagmire of inertia. It is extremely difficult to alter the performance trajectory of a school that has allowed low achievement to become the norm rather than an exception. Schools that have lost hope or are experiencing mission drift, more often than not, find the challenges standing in the way of academic excellence overwhelmingly difficult to navigate. Working in a school that is suffering from mission adrift can be a daunting experience, especially for young and inexperienced teachers harbouring ambitions and dreams of academic prosperity.

For them to thrive and prosper, new teachers should find a conducive, supportive, and welcoming school environment. An indifferent or toxic environment does not inspire hope in young teachers. It should be borne in mind that the transition from a teacher training college or university to the classroom instruction room is a major shift for the novice classroom instructional practitioner. It cannot be a seamless transition. Not all novice teachers settle quickly in their new teaching responsibilities.

The ideal situation, which can help the young and inexperienced teacher to acclimatise faster, is matching inexperience with experience. Most young teachers who begin their teaching career are privileged to enjoy professional support and guidance from veteran teachers.

But not all are lucky. I was not particularly lucky when I started my own teaching career. The reception was warm but not professionally supportive. I was paired with a former classmate, an equally inexperienced colleague who had joined the school six months earlier. This meant our department was manned by two teachers who had mastery of content but not necessarily pedagogical skills.

While my colleague received me with kindness and love, he could only say, “here is the syllabus, you may treat it in a manner you deem fit”. None of us had any experience in assessment. I was left to my own devices so early in my teaching career. We learnt together through trial and error. The first year was full of near insurmountable challenges. But we soldiered on, and positive student outcomes were realised after two - three years in the field.

Based on personal experience, it is advisable to ensure that any subject area has a good mix of veteran and inexperienced teachers. Veteran teachers are masters of pedagogy and can use their experiences accumulated over the years to mentor young teachers while inspiring students to apply themselves fully.

It is strategically sound for the system of education to strive to retain veteran teachers, especially in subject areas where there is an acute shortage of teachers. Age should not be used as a basis for kicking out of the system teachers who are still fit and agile.

In some jurisdictions, veteran teachers are being mobilised to rejoin the teaching profession. Experienced teachers are an asset to education, and their services are badly needed in this season characterised by a serious drought of good student learning outcomes.