I learnt that the Gambia teachers are on a sit down strike as a mean of registering their grievances. It is in that note I write in solidarity with the teachers as per their low pay and the poor working environment.
The teachers being the educators who gives us knowledge of the world around us and changes it into something better for good. They advances us a perspective of looking at life and helps us build opinions and have points of view on things in life.
Education is a very vital tool that is used in the contemporary world to succeed. It is vital because it is used to ease most of the challenges faced in life. The knowledge that is attained through education helps open doors to a lot of opportunities for better prospects in career growth. Every human being needs oxygen to survive in the world. Education is as important as this because education gives people the knowledge and skills they require. Education is important to people of all ages and it has no limit. Children require education in order for them to learn how to speak and to write.
The last time I checked education is widely regarded as essential to economic growth, national development and overall prosperity. In The Gambia, education is valued very highly and theoretically given a high priority. Strangely enough, however, the teachers responsible for educating Gambia’s children are not valued that highly as expected compared to other jobs. Considering the rapid increase of goods and services, you would think that teachers would be among the highest paid professionals. Yet teachers are compensated unreasonably to their advanced education levels and are disrespected by many people.
If the salary for teachers were higher, then more people would want to join the profession. With more competition for teaching, the best people would be the ones who are ultimately to be hired. With better teachers at schools, more students would hopefully connect with what they are learning and want to go on to a higher education. With more education, graduates from the University of The Gambia would be better prepared to go out as far beyond Bollibanna.
I remember when my teacher once asked me what I want to be in future. I replied Teacher, he shouted at me “not to pray for that”. And informed me that teachers are the least paid in which they struggle with their salaries to make a leaving as they normally rely on bank overdraft. After a lot of thought, it’s obvious to me that my education would be much better if my teachers felt valued. It seems as though many teachers are asked to do more every year for the same salary or sometimes with a pay cut.
Many teachers have not been noiseless about their reasons for abandoning the profession, low morale and low pay. Yet the state’s response has not been enough to end the ongoing crisis of teachers in schools. The job of recruiting and retaining qualified teachers especially in the rural areas becomes more difficult without wiggle room for bonuses and high pay.
Being a new teacher can be devastating. Without the proper support, it’s tough to make a go of it. I quit my first teaching job at Fatoto Senior Secondary School after just five months. Because the school environment was so lethal with a low pay that I hated my job, and once because I wanted to shift into a different area with a better pay that I can have a good leaving. I was also disappointed to learn that most of my student were without learning materials, and the pressure to get them up to speed was weighing heavily on me. We had no fans in our classroom considering how hot Fatoto is.
My principal was absolutely furious at me for putting him in such a difficult situation. But even worst was the unexpected reaction of my grade 12 students who were about to sat to the WASSCE. I thought they’d be devastated, but most of them barely blinked when I told them Friday would be my last day in school. Part of their nonchalance was because of their young age, but I realized with a sinking feeling in the bottom of my stomach that they were so used to losing teachers.
I got embraces, letters and a few tears on the last day of Friday, but the majority of the class was so wrapped up in their own issues that they weren’t even thinking about me. Five minutes before the final bell rang, two of my toughest students got into a physical altercation over an eraser one of them had thrown, and I was so busy dealing with them and that there was no opportunity to have wistful goodbyes. My time at that Fatoto Senior Sccondary School as a teacher ended just as chaotically as it had started.
There are several reasons why teacher’s motivation is important. Mainly because it allows the administration to meet the school’s goals, mission, vision and objective. Motivated teachers can lead to increased productivity and allow a school to achieve higher levels of output. It is high time for the Barrow lead administration to consider the needs of teachers. Majority of teachers quit the teaching field unwilling because of the harsh and stressful conditions. So for teachers to remain teachers and give their best the government needs to increase salaries and allowances.
I believe, Mr. President, through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs should look into this issue and consider substantially raising teachers’ salaries. Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students.
Saidina Alieu Jarjou
Political Activist
Teaching is amongst the noblest professions, not because it attracts the best pays, but because it prepares the minds of the most valuable resources of humanity towards the fullest development and fulfilment of potentials for societal good. Often, it is said jokingly, that those who seek wealth in life should avoid the teaching profession, because it is amongst the least paid professions.
Having worked in the profession for over a decade before leaving The Gambia, I understand the plight of the striking teachers and fully empathise with them, but I totally and emphatically condemn their strike action and urge them to resume work immediately.
I was not surprised to learn from Mr Essa Sowe of the Gambia Teachers’ Union, in his interview on Freedom Radio, that they were not part of the strike, because I know that these guys at the GPU, seasoned teachers themselves, understand the damage that a prolonged sit down strike can have on the nation’s students.
These young teachers must understand that unlike workers in other sectors, who can always fix the damage their prolonged absence from work may cause, they cannot fix any damages that their students may suffer as a result of their prolonged strike and the consequences of any such damage could be a national liability in the long term.
My suggestion would be to go back to work and let the GPU carry on negotiations with government. No doubt, their grievance is a genuine one, but their approach is wrong and unethical, because they have used their students as bargaining chips and thus, are sacrificing and jeopardising the futures of these children for their own gains.
The motivating factor and right attitude for aspiring to be a teacher should be the satisfaction gained from imparting knowledge and skills and the joy of seeing the fruits of your efforts in successful past students, rather than how fat your wallet/purse will be, because that doesn’t happen in the teaching profession in many countries. That’s the reality, so people need to make informed career choices before they commit themselves to a profession that may not meet their expectations.
Some good points raised ….. but…………….
What is wrong with the idea of increasing the salaries of teachers to a reasonable/livable point to allow them to do their job.. Has there been any official survey on the cost of living for a household of say 4 persons (Wife, Husband and 2 children) and should the kids be schoool going age, add cost of education (uniforms, lunch, books, fare etc.) then compare the answer to an average salary of a teacher. If the result show that the average salary of a teacher does not cover the monthly cost of living for a family of 4. Where do we expect the teacher to get the difference?
Is this not why good people are turn bad, good teachers leave the profession, as well as new entrants into the civil service and new school leavers feel they cannot make it through the type pay a relative or friend is receiving thus take to the back route?
Do we read or listen to the stories of some of the young people who went out through the back way? How many of them have started settling down after finishing high school and for some obtaining a professional career …… Don’t be surprise to find more of teachers than other professions. By this am not insinuating other professionals are not leaving – nurses, security, Agric extension workers, etc. While other professions can get tips (genuine one) but teacher mainly rely on one source (salary). While security officers do get genuine tips for example after serving/protecting the right of a person who would otherwise suffer wrongly, also security officers do benefit when lucky to go on peace keeping missions. Agric extension officer go on trek, filed work, work shops/training of farmers, etc all of these earn them a bit more on top of their salary, The case of the teachers is different all together. Anyone who has ever thought for a year or two and participated in a workshop (RESET) for example, teachers have only two choices (1) Either use the children’s food (school feeding programme) to feed themselves on the RESET day or contribute to feed themselves. This is pathetic. Those who will refute this kind of situations may be those who did not live it, I have (although few years ago)!!!
Why can’t our leaders start practising what they preach? If the economy is not in good shape to increase salaries, how comes no top official (from executive to PSs) come up with a suggestion to cut their own pay/per diem (even for a temporary period) to show commitment and convince the low paid workers that indeed we all need to sacrifice a bit. Again, what practical steps have been taken to guarantee any significant improvement in the economy after which salaries can be increased. When a child is seeing a boiling pot, s/he can patiently sit and wait (perhaps sleep in the waiting), but when no pot is put on fire more so boiling, the child is likely going to make noise (cry for hunger).
Aware of some of these issues, the language coming from the authorities (as the press release from Education) is not encouraging and should not be the starting point.
Sad how things are unfolding in The Gambia.
Correction: Paragraph 3 line 16:
Taught instead of thought
Bambo and Bourne…..I couldn’t agree more with the two of you. I have no doubts whatsoever that the striking teachers have genuine grievances, and the problems both of you enumerated as consequences of poor pay for teachers, will seriously impact teacher productivity, which will in turn impact education outputs negatively. I am agreed with you two 100% on that.
My call to an immediate ending of the strike is in no way a rejection of the genuineness of the teachers’ claims or an indication that they shouldn’t demand better pay and working conditions. On the contrary, I am convinced that a vast number of Gambian workers occupying the middle and lower ranks of the public and private sectors, have a right to demand better pay and working conditions NOW. It is inevitable that this happens, as the ridiculously low pays and ever rising cost of living have now created a matter of life and death situations for many workers.
It is, however, my view that due to the very nature of their jobs, teachers, like doctors, nurses, police, soldiers and fire and ambulance service workers, should NEVER embark on prolonged strikes, as they are essential service providers whose prolonged disruption can have devastating impact on innocent people.
I think for teachers, a one day sit down strike, perhaps on a Friday (which is half day) may be enough to make a political statement, but a prolonged disruption of our children’s education should never be supported or encouraged.
I was shocked to learn from Mr Fabakary Tombong Jatta on the GISS GISS show that the government is owing some teachers up to five months of unpaid allowances (probably from double shift hours), and if this is true, then it will be the most despicable act and betrayal of Gambian workers, given the massive misallocation of resources as per the last budget, not to mention the endless overseas trips of officials.
Gambians must understand that these are the issues that should determine how we vote and who we vote for. It should be a disgrace for any leader or their apologists to make claims of bringing development to the people, in a country where the vast majority of workers cannot acquire such common things as a plasma tv or two smart phones from their entire annual salaries.
On corruption, I think the speech of the illustrious Professor Lumumba at QCity yesterday is a must watch for all of us. Africa does not lack the brains to right things. It’s the will to do what needs doing and the political enlightenment to chose those that deserve to be chosen, that is lacking. And like the professor said, “Democracy presupposes that the voter has sufficient enlightenment to know what he/she wants, and where this is lacking, then we must find a name for that system, because it surely CANNOT be called DEMOCRACY.” How wonderfully true that statement is about our beloved Gambia!!!!