Ensure teachers’ wellness
As students resume studies after a fortnight-long holiday, industry is expected of them, especially the candidates, who have just a few months to the examinations. Teachers, too, are expected by society to toil harder and equip learners with the necessary knowledge.
The Ministry of Education has the responsibility of ensuring the wellness of teachers so that learners receive the deserved quality education.
Unfortunately, the central role of teachers in the society notwithstanding, they grapple with a myriad issues.
Delayed salaries, pressure from parents, employer demands of high targets, inadequate technology in some schools for visual teaching, shortage of teachers and thus strain, shortage of resources, poor renumeration and lack of timely promotions are among the problems the teachers face.
This has hugely lowered their morale and some have ended up battling health issues, especially due to salary delays. A 2020 Minet Kenya report shows 400 teachers sought mental healthcare services between April and May of that year alone.
Inasmuch as our education sector is grappling with many challenges, the ministry should make teachers’ work easier. It should always ensure teachers are paid on time as they have got needs to cater for. In this Digital age, it should invest in teacher training institutions that enable teachers learn 21st Century skills and transfer them to learners, producing graduates who are fit for the job market.
More qualified teachers should be deployed in schools to reduce the workload and learning resources supplied in school to ease the work. Timely remuneration and promotions should be enhanced to motivate teachers to embrace teaching as a calling Also support their upskilling for career growth.
Most importantly, teachers are human too; they are not exempt from mental issues. The ministry should deploy counsellors in schools to address this. BY DAILY NATION
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