Opinion By Kamohelo Teele- Young Teachers will you agree with me when I say the following is happening at township public schools.
Six reasons why I believe Public Education system is degenerating and will never transform. Challenges facing Young Teachers.
The education fraternity is too politicized especially public schools in the townships. There is a culture of patronage, for you to survive and progress you have to belong. In this Case, you have to a Sadtu obedient lackey.
Sadtu decides promotional posts from HOD, Deputy Principal and Principalship, even positions at the district and Provinces. They are allergic to well refined and thought leaders, they want puppets they can easily micromanage. They also prioritize old people for those positions of responsibility.
The schooling environment is too toxic for young people, too much imbedded with gossips, lies, character assassination. It is not a healthy environment for teaching and learning. This culture exists in all schools.
There is gatekeeping. If you bring programmes that are transformative and effect fundamental change people will feel threatened by you and begin to set you up for failure. In most case you find school Principals orchestrating dirty work against you because they think you will outshine them.
Financial reward. You get 19k salary with a B Ed after tax. Chances are that you will remain in that position for a very long time even if you get Honours, Masters and PhD, the only time you will progress is when you get appointed Lecturer in the institutions of higher learning. As for education sector forget. Unless you rim union leaders and have close proximity to administrative leadership.
Teacher Protection= Schooling system only protects Learners not teachers. With many incidents of bullying and violence you are more likely to be a victim in case where you mediate. Teachers are at times called to give statement to the police about the incidents that happened in their schools. It’s not healthy at all thats why majority of them end up being drunkards and others admitted at Wellness hospitals.
Kamohelo Rodney Teele is a Disability Youth Activist, National Spokesperson of the South African Youth Development Projects and LLB Student at University of Pretoria.
He writes in his personal capacity.
Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga, is visiting a number of schools in Randfontein, Gauteng, as learners start Term 1 of the 2022 academic year.
—————————————————————
DO YOU HAVE A NEWS STORY OR AN OPINION FOR CENTRAL NEWS: E-mail us : newsroom@centralnews.co.za or Whatsapp us on 083 398 9119
