EDUCATION FORUM

Do English teachers know English?

Ajith Perera

Teaching is an art. It is not merely a job or a profession the teachers can earn their living from. One should have a great desire or innate ability to be a successful teacher, especially a foreign language teacher. The spirit of teaching and imparting knowledge should be in his or her own blood. Dedication to the profession, thirst for new and update knowledge and desire to widen the capacity are some of the pivotal elements of a fully fledged teacher.

No politics for recruitments

Unfortunately, most of the people are of the opinion that the easiest government job they could be recruited is teaching.

Not only language teachers’ but also subject teachers’ vacancies cannot be filled instantly like filling the blanks of a cloze text or multiple choice questions. The major problem is whether the paper qualifications alone turn the recruits out to be resourceful teachers or language teachers?

Those recruits must have earned paper qualifications as well as professional qualifications. Moreover, they should love teaching. No one should become teachers for sake of being teachers or else as they are out of work. Their love and dedication to the profession is visible in their desire to widen their horizons while broadening their students’ as well.

English teachers Vs English Education

English education has widely been spoken today giving paramount importance since this is the year of IT and English education in Sri Lanka. As far as English education is concerned English teachers play a gigantic role in this regard. English teachers are held answerable for many issues pertaining not only to English education but also to Government examinations results.

Is it fair if the teachers are aimed at or held answerable? What about the learners’ Aren’t they responsible for the drastic decline of the examination results? How can we become outstanding quality English teachers with due recognition? How many of our English teachers are fluent and accurate? In short how many of our English teachers know English - correct English?

There are teachers who render a commendable service to uplift the standard of English education. We as teachers are proud of our own colleagues. There are teachers who are in line with the new knowledge and new methods of teaching. Yet unfortunately, there are similar or greater number of teachers who do not bother to use the language in classroom situations or converse with the students outside the classroom.

Compulsory training and incentives

At times, most of the English language classrooms are full of ‘Teacher talk’ and the learners are quite passive listeners. Further, teachers naturally become exhibits or artifacts before the innocent students who keep their mouths wide open. Such teachers boast of themselves. ‘My classroom management was quite successful. There was a pin drop silence in the classroom.’ If the students are dumbfounded in the classroom, that mirrors many drawbacks in the teaching learning process.

For Government English teachers, there is no other compulsory training program to enhance their educational and professional scope other than their two years Teachers’ Training Course.

There are plenty of recognized courses conducted by the universities and well recognized institutions, but it is indeed a pity most of the teachers do not bother to follow them due to various reasons such as these are not made compulsory by the Education Department, teachers can survive only with their training certificate, earning any certificate except Post Graduate Diploma or Professional Certificate does not help increase their salary.

The best example is the teachers who earn their Masters or M Phils or even Doctorates spending their hard earned money, are not entitled to any salary increment in the Education Ministry. These hard earned certificates merely increase the weight of their personal files in their respective Education Offices. Here we are naturally made to understand why teachers are discouraged and why there is no value in education in the field. That could be one of the major reasons why teachers are de-motivated to climb their professional ladder.

Unlike other subject teachers, English teachers should have a vital role to play in the life of learners because English opens the gateway for future prospects.

Therefore, the English teachers should be well equipped with the language. Most teachers who are forcefully sent for Government training either residential or non-residential do not bother to continue their higher studies through which they are academically and professionally qualified. Some consider the training they obtain is a life time licence to teach in the classroom and exist in the profession. Unluckily they do not realize that it is like a foundation without a roof.

After the Government teacher training program or the in-service programs the teachers are not given any other training or even if the seminars or workshops are organized by the divisional, zonal or provincial departments, the teachers do not take any interest in attending them for various reasons. Seminars or workshops

Teaching is not only a profession but also an art. File photo

should be an avenue where teachers can update their knowledge especially in methods of teaching. One can argue over the importance of attending certain seminars or workshops because the trainers or officials are not prepared for seminars and they bluff.

The official trainers become puppets before the trainees because they display their inefficiency and lack of preparation. Worse comes to worse when there are more qualified teachers among the trainees or attendants. Some politically appointed trainers naturally become puppets. As a result the attendance for the next seminar is nil.

If ‘No’ tuition?

Teachers interested in enhancing their language ability, proficiency and professionalism should be encouraged because it is an investment for both the teachers and the students. Our main concern in the teaching-learning process is the student.

If our students are more interested in private tuition than our teaching in the school, we as teachers should find solutions without hurting the feelings of our students. Sometimes some teachers may like their teachers attending private tuition classes.

Wherever the students go for tuition and whoever the tuition master they prefer, school teachers may think that final results bring glory to school and to the school teachers as well.

Let us assume that there are no private tuition classes and the students entirely depend on their school teachers alone for Government examinations and if the teachers are rewarded, their annual salary increment or bonus according to their students’ performance or results, what could be the outcome of it? If the salary scales are determined by the progress of the students, how many of us will earn the salary we draw today?

How many of us will earn more than we do today? How many of us will earn less than this? How many of us will be rewarded? If our schools are also privatized like in some of the Asian countries and the teachers are paid bonus at year end in appreciation of their performance, how many of us will be fortunate? Similarly the teachers who display poor quality and do not satisfy the demands of the management, they are blacklisted in those countries. How many of our names will be in those lists qualifying for disqualified from the profession?

Quality of English

I recently met the Superintendent of Schools of a neighbouring country where most of our English teachers are longing to teach because it is indeed a greener pasture.

It was our English teachers who have pioneered in introducing English in that country two, three decades ago. People of that country are ever grateful to Sri Lankan teachers for their tremendous job. The interviews for recruiting English teachers had been held in Sri Lanka then but now that avenue is already closed. So out of curiosity I inquired of the reason why the interviews are not conducted in our country but in India. The reply made me speechless and shameful.

‘We hardly find quality English teachers at the interviews in Sri Lanka?’ I was shown some answer scripts of the interviewees and asked me to pick out error free sentences. I could not find any place to hide my face. Further the superintendent reiterated that she still believes there are quality English teachers and they do not attend the interviews. So therefore, we should not be merciless to judge all the teachers in Sri Lanka by the performance of those teachers who went for the interviews because there are plenty of quality English teachers among us.

Instant English

There are teachers, who students can entirely or partially depend on. But when the knowledge of certain English teachers is concerned we feel sorry for their students.

This is a grave issue and that could be one of the main reasons why students rush to the mushrooming tuition masters and tuition centres where English is taught instantly. You may disagree or you may dislike my outspokenness but that is the harsh or bitter truth. You may be happy as long as this is hidden in dark corners but keeping the garbage under the carpet does no good to anybody. Now the stench of the hidden garbage is intolerable. Therefore, we should remedy this issue of English education Vs English teachers.

If the teachers are reinforced, the number of teachers who would struggle to pursue their higher studies would increase. Isn’t it a massive investment for future?

Students are evergrateful if they feel that their teachers are genuine and hard working. If teachers do not change their attitudes and enhance their skills and proficiency to widen the horizons of their students, the main purpose of the year of English is lost.

The way to proper education

Sampath Jayakody

Nowadays, the vexed topic has been the education in Sri Lanka. Recently, every citizen of the country was able to witness the enigma regarding term test papers. Whatever said and done, education sector needs the fullest attention of the incumbent authorities. Almost every parent’s dream is to see his son or daughter in a better position than they were. So everyone desires to have a good education. But is the education imparted to children a good one? A question comes.

Frankly, today some teachers do not perform their duty well. That’s the main reason I see behind the backdrop of examination results. Either they do not know how to teach or they are fed up with students and the syllabuses. Some teachers might remonstrate that the syllabus is too broad for the students in a particular grade and could not be completed within a year.

And some teachers might claim that students are not zealous in learning. Therefore, when these two sectors, i.e., students and teachers do not have a good relationship, education loses its strength. However, anyone can witness the mushrooming tuition institutions in our country. Some teachers who conduct private tuition classes might say they do tuition since the syllabus cannot be completed within the school hours. Others might say they do it due to financial reasons. Conducting tuition for financial reasons is, I think, justifiable given the current economic situation. But they should not be con men. On the other hand let’s look at the other reason, that is, the broadness of the syllabuses.

This is a factor that needs an overhaul. Teachers say the syllabus is too big and cannot be completed within school hours. And the authorities say that the teachers do not teach well. When one party blames the other, that party also repeats the same action. Both parties sling mud at each other’s faces.

I think authorities must pay attention to teachers too. People who make the syllabuses should make it in a manner that it could be completed within school hours. That means, syllabuses need a good overhaul.

Besides sometimes teachers claim, students are not enthusiastic in learning. I think that enthusiasm should be encouraged in students both by parents and specially teachers. Teachers must impart knowledge to students without expecting anything in return. Teachers must be able to encourage children by using state-of-the-art teacher-student interactive teaching methods expelling orthodox methods. They should tell, teach and preach the students the mileages of learning. That’s why students come to school. They know nothing. They are offsprings to the society. But the adults who have proper knowledge should teach children always.

On the contrary, parents also should give some freedom to children especially when they become older. That is an important thing. We must let our children peep into society to have a closer look at society. Then, they will understand how does the hypothesized society and the real society clash. Here, they will learn. We must give the child a chance to learn by experimenting.

If he made a blunder he would not repeat it. Education does not come only through books and teachers but also through experience that they learn. So as parents we should not restrict our children only to the study room and class. What we always do is that. We fear something bad would happen to the child.

That must be firmly stopped. We should give them a chance to interact with their friends readily. If you become paranoid about children they would start lying to parents. We should give them freedom to a certain extent.

Then they would comprehend how society is and it would give the children a momentum to study hard and reach a good position in life through education. In addition, the Education Department also has a pivotal role to perform. They should monitor the alterations, problems and progress taking place in the education sector.

One simple way they could help is by publishing textbooks to a particular year in a manner that every single child gets a book. Sometimes there are instances, where students complain they do not have textbooks. A paradigm to this is the new A/L syllabus (2011) that has come into implementation. A new syllabus has been introduced but still there are no textbooks. Hence in a situation like this attending tuition class is exceedingly reasonable. Because students have a given time period, so they should study in that allocated phase, lest they might fail the exam.

Authorities should distribute teachers in an equal way. We witness many instances when children complain that they do not have teachers.

Another major point is that when selecting teaching as a career that person must not choose it giving priority to money making. The particular person who wishes to teach should have a penchant for imparting knowledge. Distributing knowledge must be the first factor when selecting teaching as a profession.

As we see it:

What ails our University system?

The Higher Education Minister recently said that our Universities have fallen in their rankings. It is sad to note that they have been unable to reach not world but even Asian or South Asian standards. This, despite the fact that the Government has increased its budgetary allocations for the University system.

There are many factors responsible for this sad state of affairs. One of the most significant factors is the lack of a proper academic environment. Years of stifling independent and creative thought has resulted in an environment when not only students but even the academia is fractured along political party lines.

Then there is the adverse impact of the open economy when everything is measured in terms of individual financial gain. The ugliest expression of this is seen when University teachers descend to the level of private tuition masters for Advanced Level or pre-University students. When the pursuit of academic interest is superseded by economic interests painstaking arduous scientific research and study is replaced by plagiarism and sycophancy as a short-cut to promotions and recognition.

Our Universities impart more theoretical knowledge at the cost of practical knowledge. Except for a few disciplines such as Medicine and Engineering, the entire teaching has no relevance to social practice. The over emphasis on theoretical aspects and that too in theories which have no relevance to Sri Lankan practice has made many a graduate a misfit in the world of work.

Besides, education planning has not taken the needs of the country and the economy into account. This has resulted in the need to depend on foreign expertise in several fields. In other words dynamics of social development has not been taken into account.

No University could excel unless it engages in scientific and academic research. Unfortunately our Universities are cash strapped. Nor have they thought it fit to pool their resources and conduct joint research or establish links with the industry. Nor have they sought regional cooperation even within the SAARC limits.

The unabated brain drain is also a cause for the paucity of research and the poverty of knowledge in our Universities.At present there is only one entry point, that is after the Advanced Level. There should also be another entry point for those who follow other forms of tertiary education such as vocational or technological studies to join the University to gain formal theoretical knowledge after some years of work.

The pressure for admission that exists now with its associated discontent could be reduced if there is another entry point a few years later for such vocationally qualified. Also the unnecessary friction between degree course students and others using University resources could also be ended or eased.

The quality and content of education imparted also matters. More emphasis is given to attendance at lectures than independent and group studies, individual assignments or intervention with the society.

Syllabi and course streams are too rigid and do not favour multi-disciplinary education. The existing structure in the University system is a set of compartmentalized faculties with minimal interaction among them.

- The Guru