EDITORIAL: Role of the teacher must be respected

Our children are a valuable resource, they are to be protected and seen as our highest priority. Although we often sing it without thinking of the magnitude of the statement, children really are the future. They are the future politicians, businessmen and women, healthcare professionals and trades people. Older people will have to rely heavily on the young when they can no longer make the contribution to society that they once made. This is ominous, because for as many young promising students as we have on this island there are an equal amount that appear to be lost and disenfranchised with the systems in place and the world that we live in. They are uninterested in the traditional avenues to what is considered success. Some of these are intelligent and analytical, rejecting the decisions made by the government and other authority figures when they do not agree and can envision better alternatives. Many of these young people often reject religion for the similar reasons. They cannot be tamed, manipulated or controlled. They are radical.

These traits can be seen in children from young ages and as they mature and advance through the school system they become more and more frustrated. This is understandable. Placed in their shoes, in an island like Barbados where many people are unemployed and underemployed including those who are highly educated, the possibilities are the opposite of endless. Only those who can see a pathway to life overseas may have some additional hope that they can succeed.

When all of this is considered along with regular adolescent experiences such as puberty, our young people are likely to have a difficult time. Throw in Covid-19 and the virtual reality which has stripped them of the physical aspects of socialization and a perfect storm is created.

Now consider our teachers. Online comments suggest that many people in Barbados believe that a teacher’s job is a breeze and that they have lots of vacation and leave work at 3 in the afternoon. However, just like being a parent, the job of a teacher never ends.

These teachers have been asked to put their health and the health of their loved ones at risk in order for schools to be re-opened. They were given an opportunity to obtain vaccinations at the very last minute when the first batch of vaccines were all but exhausted. The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training often schedules meetings to have consultations with stakeholders when making major decisions but it often appears as if the meetings are called simply to create better optics when a decision has already been made by those in control.

It must be admitted that whether they work remotely or at the school plant, teachers are very hard working individuals and with the new type of students, their job has only become more difficult. Not only should people stop being disrespectful to teachers but they must be educated on the value which teachers provide to the nation. Simply put, the future of Barbados rests in their hands, a responsibility they do not take lightly.