Miracles do happen at Christmas, including virgin births. As the bells rang out on Christmas Day, the Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites should have broadcast a surprise goodwill package for teachers — a reputable Christmas bonus for their outstanding efforts throughout the year.
As I woke up from this Vision 2020 dream, still under the influence of a very rum-laden sorrel and fruitcake duo, I paused to reflect on the level of effort and work that teachers put in to see students, at any level, succeed.
With that said, Christmas is a time filled with love, joy, and togetherness, a time when everyone should feel free-spirited with their loved ones. A time when we should pause to reflect on the birth of the king, Jesus Christ.
However, while children gallivant in the streets dressed in the fanciest clothing and enhancing the already noise-polluted environment with firecrackers, there are teachers who are tirelessly marking end-of-semester exam scripts, reviewing school-based assessment and internal assessment drafts for January, and, of course, replying to e-mail from students as they query the work they are doing in the field for such projects.
By now, we all know that a teacher’s job does not end when they clock off at the end of the day. Most genuinely care about their charges, going out of their way to ensure that each student is provided with the necessary help they need to do well.
Minister Thwaites, I’m sure if you thought back to your own school years there is bound to be at least one teacher who changed the way you thought and behaved. I know there were a few who inspired me to explore my talents, especially my English teacher, who always encouraged and supported my love for writing. I may not have got this far without her belief in my abilities.
Some of the most influential, beautiful and charismatic leaders on the planet have been calling for teachers this year to get more compensation; even the Pope declared that teachers are “amongst the worst-paid workers”. Similarly, Barack Obama has praised South Korea for ensuring that the country’s teachers get paid about the same as doctors. In light of the World Teacher’s Day theme for 2015, ’Empowering Teachers, Building Sustainable Societies’, I believe that in the season of giving, the Government should consider giving generously to our teachers. Although we are thankful for the early salary payments, the additional bonus would make the season a jolly one for all of us. Look at it, if you can read this, thank a teacher!
Juvelle Taylor
Montego Bay, St James
juvelle.taylor@yahoo.com
As I woke up from this Vision 2020 dream, still under the influence of a very rum-laden sorrel and fruitcake duo, I paused to reflect on the level of effort and work that teachers put in to see students, at any level, succeed.
With that said, Christmas is a time filled with love, joy, and togetherness, a time when everyone should feel free-spirited with their loved ones. A time when we should pause to reflect on the birth of the king, Jesus Christ.
However, while children gallivant in the streets dressed in the fanciest clothing and enhancing the already noise-polluted environment with firecrackers, there are teachers who are tirelessly marking end-of-semester exam scripts, reviewing school-based assessment and internal assessment drafts for January, and, of course, replying to e-mail from students as they query the work they are doing in the field for such projects.
By now, we all know that a teacher’s job does not end when they clock off at the end of the day. Most genuinely care about their charges, going out of their way to ensure that each student is provided with the necessary help they need to do well.
Minister Thwaites, I’m sure if you thought back to your own school years there is bound to be at least one teacher who changed the way you thought and behaved. I know there were a few who inspired me to explore my talents, especially my English teacher, who always encouraged and supported my love for writing. I may not have got this far without her belief in my abilities.
Some of the most influential, beautiful and charismatic leaders on the planet have been calling for teachers this year to get more compensation; even the Pope declared that teachers are “amongst the worst-paid workers”. Similarly, Barack Obama has praised South Korea for ensuring that the country’s teachers get paid about the same as doctors. In light of the World Teacher’s Day theme for 2015, ’Empowering Teachers, Building Sustainable Societies’, I believe that in the season of giving, the Government should consider giving generously to our teachers. Although we are thankful for the early salary payments, the additional bonus would make the season a jolly one for all of us. Look at it, if you can read this, thank a teacher!
Juvelle Taylor
Montego Bay, St James
juvelle.taylor@yahoo.com