Reforming The Terms And Conditions Of Service Of Teachers

Objectives

To improve the quality of education by upgrading the status of the teaching profession through improving the terms and conditions of service of teachers.

General Philosophy

The society depends upon teachers to mould personalities of children and youths so that they can contribute to the spiritual, moral, social, cultural and economic progress of the community. Teachers are not only the key element in the provision of good quality education and critical to the success of any strategy for human resource development, but they are the chief standard bearers of the efficacy of the educative process. Who the teacher is and how the teacher is perceived in society are as important as what the teacher does. How the teacher and the teaching profession are perceived is critical to the success of the educational enterprise. Recruiting and retaining good teachers who are appropriately educated and trained is vital to the provision of good quality education and for the development of human resources in the sub-region.

The task of recruiting and retaining good teachers is complicated by several factors. At present, morale in the teaching profession is relatively low. The public perception is that the teaching profession has lost status. Low salaries and poor working conditions in many schools contribute to this perception. In addition, as a result of the higher levels of general education in the population as a consequence of the vast expansion of educational opportunity in the last fifty years, teachers no longer command respect by virtue of superior education nor are they automatically elected or appointed to leadership positions. Advancement in the education of teachers has not kept pace with the advancement of education in the general population. Standard teacher qualifications are still predicated on Certificates and Diplomas in circumstances in which an increasing proportion of the population hold degrees. Affirmative action is required to promote teaching as a career.