WITHIN RECENT TIMES there has been no profession which has been more publicly vilified than that of teaching.
It is bad enough when it comes from the general public, but it is all the more worrying when this public vilification comes from the hierarchy within the educational system.
This is not done in other professions.
How can we expect society to respect the teacher or the “better brains” to come into a profession subjected to this?
If a survey were to be carried out among young school leavers as to their preferred profession, I am sure that teaching would be low on the list – being the “if nothing else comes along option”.
There are more respected, lucrative, less stressful and attractive options out there. The teaching profession, like any other, has its share of undesirables and will continue to do so, given the new attitudes and behaviours which prevail within today’s society.
No manager would tell you that there has not been a negative change in the attitude of the workers over the last few years.
Now we are hearing of the “don’t carish” attitude of teachers who I am sure are relatively few in number.
Teachers were once revered in society and enjoyed the respect which they were due. There was also a time when the home worked in tandem with the school and there were fewer problems.
All of this is quickly being eroded and to continually pillory the profession only helps to exacerbate this. Students now seem pre-programmed to disrespect, distrust and reject the authority of the teacher as there exists a strong anti-teacher sentiment.
Many of us are parents of school-aged children and we hear of the behaviours and attitudes among schoolchildren from primary to secondary. We hear of things which make us cringe.
Imagine coming into the classroom with the lesson planned, only to be met with students ignoring your presence, being rude and disrespectful, hurling insults at each other, carrying on their own conversations, fighting, eating, not having their books or the required stationery; these are some of the realities of today’s classrooms.
Teachers can do without the added stress. They need support and respect. Our aim should be to support, encourage and assist each other.
Teachers cannot do it alone. Stop throwing the teachers to the wolves.
SOL GITTENS