Teacher attrition in Bhutan (120 teachers resigned in five months, 2017 and 200 in 2016) - Kuensel News dated 8th July, 2017.
Definitely a great cause of concern. There cannot be a bigger problem than this. We don't have to fall too sick to get alright. Things become dangerous not because some people create them but because some people just sit, watch and let things happen. If the reason put forward for those who left the profession was for better earnings or as alluded to in the Kuensel editorial and the report, shouldn't we try with what works the best to fix this problem? Studies in the West show that there is a correlation between the teacher's salary and students' performances, and thus may be tantamount to the interrelatedness of teacher's incentives and teacher attrition. Hats off to the Ministry of Education for undertaking lots of initiatives to affect the effectiveness of the school programmes; however, if the interventions deployed thus far did not work to curb this wearing down of teachers, can we be a little more practical and try with a monetary benefit, say 45 to 60% teaching allowance for the teachers?
A case in point is, "how many of us support this proposal?" really matters at the end. I think there is no harm submitting this proposal to the government of the day requesting for some extra amount for our teachers, who produce the nation builders. I think we just simply cannot say that 'we are humble leaders' and can not defend the proposal on the mere fact of affordability when it comes to the profession that affects all other professions. This outlook is not visionary and thus cannot shrug off the vexed question concerning the issue just because some claim that opportunity would be created for those unemployed. Consequently, the rhetorical questions we might be compelled to ask are: 1. Would there be no sense of compunction for the liability of becoming our students Guinea pigs under the arms of new teachers, not to say that they are underestimated? 2. Can we afford to trade the experienced for the new? 3. What if these freshly recruited teachers followed the footsteps of those who resigned, when their share of experiences encountered? 4. What would be the extent of repercussions then?
I think we as educators may have to contemplate this predicament thousand times (which also merits lots of introspection) and may need to ascertain the solution sooner than later before we sit, watch, and lose another precious Guru.
Definitely a great cause of concern. There cannot be a bigger problem than this. We don't have to fall too sick to get alright. Things become dangerous not because some people create them but because some people just sit, watch and let things happen. If the reason put forward for those who left the profession was for better earnings or as alluded to in the Kuensel editorial and the report, shouldn't we try with what works the best to fix this problem? Studies in the West show that there is a correlation between the teacher's salary and students' performances, and thus may be tantamount to the interrelatedness of teacher's incentives and teacher attrition. Hats off to the Ministry of Education for undertaking lots of initiatives to affect the effectiveness of the school programmes; however, if the interventions deployed thus far did not work to curb this wearing down of teachers, can we be a little more practical and try with a monetary benefit, say 45 to 60% teaching allowance for the teachers?
A case in point is, "how many of us support this proposal?" really matters at the end. I think there is no harm submitting this proposal to the government of the day requesting for some extra amount for our teachers, who produce the nation builders. I think we just simply cannot say that 'we are humble leaders' and can not defend the proposal on the mere fact of affordability when it comes to the profession that affects all other professions. This outlook is not visionary and thus cannot shrug off the vexed question concerning the issue just because some claim that opportunity would be created for those unemployed. Consequently, the rhetorical questions we might be compelled to ask are: 1. Would there be no sense of compunction for the liability of becoming our students Guinea pigs under the arms of new teachers, not to say that they are underestimated? 2. Can we afford to trade the experienced for the new? 3. What if these freshly recruited teachers followed the footsteps of those who resigned, when their share of experiences encountered? 4. What would be the extent of repercussions then?
I think we as educators may have to contemplate this predicament thousand times (which also merits lots of introspection) and may need to ascertain the solution sooner than later before we sit, watch, and lose another precious Guru.
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