In the following interview, we ask Yonell Justilien, an educator, about what can be done to retain and attract teachers especially during this COVID-19 pandemic and with a view of achieving Target 4.1 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4.
Interviewer: According to UNESCO Institute of Statistics, about 69 million teachers must be recruited to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030. What are three things you believe that education stakeholders can do to retain and attract teachers in The Bahamas?
Justilien: Teaching over 31 years in The Bahamas has been nothing but rewarding for me. My satisfaction and motivation have always been fueled by the success of my students moving on to higher learning and the working community. Although there have been some improvements in the educational system in The Bahamas, there are still too many challenges. Some of these challenges are responsible for the increasing rate of teacher burnout and early retirements. The teaching life-span of many education professionals today are getting shorter. This is partially due to the unexpected challenges that are connected to increasing number of social ills in the communities they serve.
If we are to turn this trend of losing teachers around, major changes must be made on how educators are viewed, establish a more attractive salary scale and improve the working environment.
The country’s social decay I believe stems from the breakdown in family structure and the decline of Christian values. These deficiencies of the family structure are now affecting the social maturity and behavioral patterns of many students in the classroom. When a child fails, more fingers are pointed at the teaching professionals and very little responsibility at the feet of the home and community environment. Parents must be held accountable for the actions of their children and better partnership must be established between all stakeholders in the community to ensure an overall healthy environment for our youths to grow.
For too long many other professions with the same level of academic qualifications have been made more attractive with better salary scales and other incentives than the education professionals. Many bright minds who would have loved teaching ended up seeking alternative professions with better salary structures and benefits. Each year teachers are leaving the profession in search for better opportunities and others are engaged in a second form of income to make a better living for their families. If educators are treated like professionals in every way, I believe the teacher shortage challenges will be solved. A bold effort must be made to compensate the teaching professionals for what they are truly worth.
Another area that contributes to teaching challenges is the instructional environment. This includes physical infrastructure, teaching materials / equipment and safety protocols. The comfort of teachers and student along with a safe teaching environment play a great role in the outcome of each child. Government budget should not be compromised when it comes to furnishing schools with all that is necessary to yield a more favorable outcome.
Very informative and painful to note that for decades now, improvements have been slim. Hoping at some point, teachers will be properly respected and adequately rewarded for the very invaluable work they do!!!
Thank you for joining the global community as this World Teachers’Day is observed. Teaching professionals continue to make massive contributions to the social and economical stability of our societies. You are asking a very pointed question that I believe societies will have to answer sooner rather than later.