Some of the excited over 400 persons enrolling in Erdiston Teachers’ Training College for the Academic Year 2012-2013.
Respect the rights of teachers and students
7/3/2012
By Kerri Gooding
CHILDREN have rights and teachers are trained professionals who deserve respect. This was the message emphatically delivered by Minister of Education and Human Resource Development, the Hon. Ronald Jones.
Minister Jones called for teachers to recognise children’s rights and for parents and members of society to see teachers as qualified professionals in their field of study; so that just as they accept the advise and prescriptions from doctors without query, they too should accept that the teachers sometimes know best.
He told the new students enrolling at Erdiston Teachers’ College for the Academic Year 2012-2013, that like their guide, Jesus Christ who was the ultimate teacher, “You will have trials and tribulations and may be sacrificed by those who don’t understand.” He said, “Everybody is an educator and a teacher.” Minister Jones said that in society everywhere you will hear negative comments about teachers and their teaching style or technique. You will see parents at schools telling teachers what they should do regardless of the teacher’s degree in pedagogy. He said, “Some of us become victims of that onslaught. They want to tell us when we should resign and don’t resign. You are professionals in your own space.” He encouraged the teachers to grasp at opportunities for training and to have dialogue with each other so that pertinent decisions can be made collectively and the varied techniques and abilities can be compared and discussed.
Then in the schools, Minister Jones called for teachers to also show respect to the students just as society should show them respect. He appealed, “Treat children like human beings with rights and they will be more responsive. Children have rights too, but if you abuse the rights of children, what do you expect? They have feelings too. Make children laugh in class. Make them full of life.” Minister Jones implored teachers to make children feel cared for, because, “children know if we really care”.
Minister Jones made appeals for the rights of the wards under his Ministry, both the staff and students so as to ensure environments within the island’s schools which are conducive to learning and development.
