Neglecting Teachers’ Needs Has Long-Term Effects on Students, Families and Society
Education Minister Hon. Darryl Matthewfaces harsh criticism from Hon. Kelvin Simon, M.P. for St. Mary’s South, for not fulfilling his promise to pay teachers their overdue salaries by September 5th. Despite the Minister’s announcement that all outstanding debts would be settled and schools would operate normally, teachers remained unpaid, leading to chaos in many schools.
M.P. Simon describes this delay in payment as reckless and believes that it puts the welfare of students at risk. At Jennings Secondary School, children were seen roaming the streets throughout the day. Some students had to walk home because the school bus failed to show up. Having reneged on a previous commitment to pay the teachers, Simon emphasized the need to immediately address this issue to ensure positive student outcomes and foster a supportive educational environment.
M.P. Simon, a former teacher, claims that it is a tough time for teachers as they had expected outstanding payments to be settled before returning to school. He posits that government’s failure to adequately compensate teachers, is a major contributing factor to the teacher shortage and declining student performance.
“Teachers are paid less than other professionals with similar education levels. Low salaries is already a major source of stress and by failing to deliver on its promises, this only adds to their frustration. Many also face poor working conditions, like poorly ventilated classrooms, limited supplies and inadequate resources,” M.P. Simon said.
Simon also points out that research spanning years has consistently highlighted the connection between competitive teacher salaries, resource investment and positive student outcomes. Amidst ongoing debates about the declining student performance, Simon is disheartened to witness blame being directed solely at teachers.
“There is an urgent need to address the compensation of teachers. They are entrusted with one of the most vital tasks in our country: educating the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and citizens. We owe it to our future generations. By ensuring that teachers can provide for their families, own a home and live a reasonably comfortable life, we empower them to unleash the full potential of our students. We must invest in today’s teachers for tomorrow’s future,” M.P. Simon said.
The St. Mary’s South representative asserts that education remains a low priority for the ABLP administration. He also cites the government’s failure to install air conditioning units in schools as another bluff that must be immediately addressed. M.P. Simon believes that the time has come for the government to shift its priorities and to channel its energies to put teachers at the center of our nation’s education investments.
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