So you want to teach?

Back in my primary school years, I think starting from primary 3 we were asked to write composition entitled “My ambition” and if you were to ask 10 students back then, I believe more than 50% will answer, “teacher”, well I did. Many months back, I asked my elder daughter the same question and guess what she answered…. “teacher” Hmm…. almost 30 years gap, we still get the same answer. I asked myself why? Well this is the answer I have. Teacher is our role model, you can tell your kids this and that but if it’s different from their teacher’s they will object by telling you “Teacher tell me this and not that” yes, even to their own mummy who may be holding a PhD compared to a kindy teacher who may be holding a certificate qualification.

So teachers out there, you are very important role models to our children but sad to say nobody wants to become teachers nowadays, reasons are a few like the pay sucks and workload is plenty, over protective students and over reacted parents, poor school management and the profession’s remuneration is simply not attractive. I do not know how many teachers now actually teach out of passion to educate the future generation or they are simply trying to make a living and drag themselves to school everyday.

One of my lecturer told me that back in Sweden there was a primary school which is renown for producing excellent whole rounded students, curious of the system that the school has and wanted to emulate the success of the school, other schools organized trip to observe and hopefully to catch the magic portion. They were surprised for there is no high technology equipments, no special syllabus but just an ordinary primary school with the conventional black board, tables, chairs, students. So what’s the magic portion? Teachers who taught the basics, teachers who were dedicated and simply have passion for teaching. So I guess all who visited the school were real disappointed.

Are you concern with your children’s education? Who formulate the education program in our country? Who are the teachers? Is the authority going to do anything to retain real teachers and to attract potential teachers? What about those teachers who were dragged to school daily, what impact will they have on our future generations? What are the things we, as parents can do? What what what…… The situation is worrisome….