Sunday News
4 July 2010
Sunday News Reporter
GOVERNMENT is deliberating on a policy that is aimed at luring Science, Mathematics and English teachers after it emerged that most schools in the country are now enlisting the services of unqualified teachers owing to the critical shortage of skilled personnel in these areas, a cabinet minister has confirmed.
The shortage of teachers in Mathematics, English and all subjects that fall under the umbrella of science, is due to the great demand in neighbouring countries that has greatly crippled the pride of the country’s education system.
The Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart, told Sunday News in an interview that Government was not just sitting on its laurels watching the free fall of the education system but was deliberating on measures that could be put in place to stem the exodus of teachers of those critical subjects, as well as trying to map strategies to lure those that have left the country.
“It is true that we have a shortage of the teachers for those subjects whose importance in the academic curricula needs no emphasis. That most schools are employing the services of unqualified teachers is equally true as there is no other option.
“Government is however not happy and is not just watching but we are trying to put in place a policy to stop the exodus of teachers as well as luring those that have left the country,†he said.
Although he could not highlight what measures Government was going to put in place he said his ministry was intent on doing everything with the limited resources to ensure quality education is offered in the country’s schools.
He lamented the lack of financial resources as the major setback in the Government plans — saying the situation where the teachers were getting less than soldiers was not healthy to the education sector.
He was however quick to point out that Government’s efforts were being strangled by the poor remuneration that the teachers were getting.
“We have a saddening situation where teachers are paid less than soldiers. That is not very healthy and as a ministry we have been pushing Government about the issue of teachers’ remuneration, which is poor and remains a challenge in our efforts of breathing life into the slowly diminishing education system.
“The issue of salaries remains the major concern and we will not go far with our efforts if the issue of salaries is not sorted out to the satisfaction of the teachers,†he added.
He said his ministry was going to disburse this month 13 million textbooks sourced under the Education Transition Fund to primary schools in the country’s ten provinces.
Sen Coltart further stated that a secondary school textbook programme was on the cards adding that the programme was put on board after the realisation by his ministry that there was a critical shortage of relevant reading material in most of the country’s schools and aimed to have a 1:1 pupil-book ratio in schools.
The country embarked on a re-engagement exercise last year with the hope of getting back teachers who have left the profession for greener pastures but the exercise bore little fruit, as the process was tedious and frustrating with some teachers spending the better part of some terms without getting paid.