Applause to the men and women of the teaching profession
Correspondent | Wednesday June 3, 2015 18:00
We pause and salute not only those who will be honoured but all the teachers who have gone beyond their normal call of duty to ensure that Botswana continues to be a shining example with regard to sustainable economic growth.
Teaching as the mother of all professions remains instrumental in developing and moulding human capital and manpower resource across all sectors of the economy.
It is on this note that all teachers should feel compelled to look back and acknowledge their outstanding contribution to the advancement of Botswana’s economy.
Botswana’s achievement in the development of the education sector was never a smooth journey pre and post-independence.
Despite the competing needs and economic challenges, the country continued to drive education provision as a major impetus to the country’s economic success and sustainability.
The 1994 Revised National Policy on Education acknowledged the need to fast track access and equity in education provision without compromising quality in the classroom. One can confidently claim that the country did commendably well in improving access and equity as we today pride ourselves with providing 10year basic education as delineated by the Millennium Development Goals (MGD’s). Although brilliant initiatives such as double shift and back to school were not well executed, one cannot dismiss the value and purpose of such interventions in promoting access and equity.
The success of such programmes would have opened windows of opportunity for young Batswana with an ultimate goal of attaining a 100% transition rate from junior secondary school to senior secondary school.
It is quite evident that with the current global economic challenges, the country has to optimise its utilisation of resources especially the available school infrastructure and manpower.
Nonetheless, the quality of education provision continues to be embroiled with challenges despite inherent structured policies, available infrastructure and highly qualified human resource in the form of practicing teachers.
It is critical for government to re-affirm its commitment to education as outlined in the 1994 RNPE with the aim of transforming from an agro based to an industrialised economy.
Teachers as agents of change remain vital and key drivers in this economic transformation. Of recent, the vision to transform to a knowledge based economy has gained momentum and prominence in some circles.
However, the continued transformation of the education system should not just be makeshift interventions but should translate into real transformation of the citizenry in line with their social, economic, scientific and technological needs.
In fact, the 1994 RNPE puts emphasis on the prominent role of teachers and insists that “teachers can make or break the system”. Therefore, teachers’ day should present an opportunity for teachers to guarantee to the nation, their commitment and dedication to the profession.
They should pledge their allegiance to education provision of the country’s citizenry. Commemoration of teachers’ day should encompass introspection and assessment of their contribution towards the advancement of quality education. Teachers need to reminisce on Botswana’s education system with the view to constantly evaluate its relevance and responsiveness to the global educational reforms.
The prevailing predicament in public schools should appeal to the teacher unions and the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MOESD); the need to introspect has never been this urgent and profound.
It is in the best interest of the present and future generations of this country for the two parties to dialogue meaningfully. The nation is justified in demanding value out of the country’s investment in education; it isan open secret that Botswana’s education system is declining as evidenced by the performance of learners in public schools.
The nation is deeply worried by the decline in societal values and morals degeneration amongst our youth. With added challenges of unemployed skilled and unskilled graduates, robust educational reforms are long overdue.
The reforms should not only reinforce accessible, equitable, inclusive quality education but should also be geared towards creating lifelong opportunities for out of school youths.
The nation heavily relies on government and all stakeholders to ensure they deliver to this nation quality education for the betterment of its livelihood. Teachers should feel obliged to ensure that learners find no better place than their schools; learners should feel the motivation to look forward to their next day in school.
It is the duty of all teachers to create in their classrooms an enabling and conducive environment for meaningful learning experiences for all learners.
Teachers need to reinforce their subject matter and pedagogical knowledge in line with the dynamic and diverse needs of learners in their classrooms.
Teachers owe to this nation well groomed, productive and excelling graduates who can effectively compete locally and internationally.
We continue to envy countries such as Finland, Japan to name but a few as they remain success stories in education provision the world over.
The success of these countries is largely a product of their sound, targeted and well-focused educational reforms.
These countries have not only ensured that they provide good infrastructure and resources in education but they invested heavily in the training and development of their teaching professionals.
Furthermore, in reforming their education they ensured that they improved the working conditions, welfare and remuneration of their teaching force. In our case, educational reforms are as profound today as they were in 1976 and 1993 when Botswana established its first and second national commission on education.
A renown and well recognised educational researcher Shulman (1983) sums up the success of any educational system this way;
...the teacher must remain the key. The literature on effective schools is meaningless, debates over educational policy are moot, if the primary agents of instruction are incapable of performing their functions well. No microcomputer will replace them, no television system will clone and distribute them, no scripted lessons will direct and control them, no voucher system will bypass them, (p. 504).
The country can only manage to provide quality education through a professional and quality teaching force. It is commendable for the government to have finally realised the need to fast track and prioritise the setting up ofBotswana Teaching Council (BOTECO). News that government plans to table the BOTECO bill in the next sitting of parliament is a welcome development. Meanwhile, dialogue around a fixed overtime allowance for teachers is long overdue.
Our schools need to produce productive, innovative, creative and well groomed individuals.
We need to appreciate that teachers are well trained in unleashing the best out of these young talented Batswana.
It is through a combination of enabling classroom environment, active subject clubs, active sporting activities, social and moral support, guidance and counselling and many other school based activities that learners will fully explore their potential.
It is an open secret that these school based activities enhance the development ofwell-rounded individuals. Thus, it is in the best interest of our education that the issue of hours of work needs to be expediently resolved. We need to harness and exhaust our energy in collectively working towards confronting the current challenges threatening our education.
Allow me to take this opportunity to congratulate fellow teachers who will be honoured on teachers’ day for they played their part as good ambassadors of the teaching profession.
I wish to extend my appreciation to all the teachers in this country as they commemorate their day across the length and breadth of the country. Long live fellow men and women of the teaching profession long live!!! May the good Lord bless you.
*Mathews Masole is a serving mathematics teacher and the current Chairperson of the Mathematical Association of Botswana (MAB). The association promotes the development of mathematics education through professional development of mathematics teachers and the administration of national and international competitions for primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in Botswana. MAB also advices government on matters relating to mathematics education in public schools.
Mathews Masole*
Matths2000@gmail.com