Where is our English education heading for?
Ajith PERERA
[Continued from yesterday]
After the government teacher training programme or the in-service
programmes the teachers are not given any other training by the
Department. Seminars and workshops are organized by the divisional,
zonal or provincial departments but the teachers do not take any
interest in attending them for various reasons. Seminars and workshops
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 most 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. Worst come to the worst 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.
Teachers who are interested in enhancing their language ability,
proficiency and professionalism find their own way in improving their
skills in teaching. Such blessed teachers should be encouraged since it
is an investment for both the teachers and the students. They are the
noble teachers who are rewarded and their own children are also blessed.
Such teachers are the symbol of real teachers who are very much rare
today.
Private and international schools that directly contribute to our
nation building should not be forgotten in terms of teacher recruitment
and professional development. They should also be motivated to update
their educational and professional knowledge for the well-being of their
students. They too handle and move the children of our nation.
If ‘No’ tuition?
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
students attending private tuition classes. Wherever the students go for
tuition and whoever the tuition master they prefer, school teachers may
think that the 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 poor
quality teachers who do not satisfy the demands of the management are
blacklisted in those countries. How many of our names will be in those
lists qualifying for disqualified from the profession?
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 or 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 my curiosity I inquired after 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 that 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
I was shown some of the English articles written by certain English
teachers for the jubilee magazine of a leading school by the Principal
and said, ‘I thought the students need English but now I know our
students can teach these teachers their basic grammar.’
What about those who are below the line of professionalism? What
about those innocent students who learn under such teachers? Will those
teachers guarantee continuous training programmes under qualified
trainers? When are the officials going to introduce a system of
continual training programme for all the English teachers at least once
a year?
There are teachers, the students can entirely or partially depend on.
But where 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 unbearable. Therefore, we ourselves
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? Those teachers who are interested in
widening their scopes in their professionalism should be supported
financially because the recognized courses are quite expensive. Students
are ever grateful if they feel that their teachers are genuine and hard
working. If teachers do not change their attitudes and enhance their
skills and proficiency in order to widen the horizons of their students,
the main purpose of the English education is lost.
Authority needs English education
There are Principals and officials who value English education. What
they were deprived of should be given to the students and that is a
wonderful thought. Unfortunately, there are some Principals and
officials who become the stumbling blocks before teachers and students
and curtail the opportunities of English education of teachers and
students. ‘Classroom teaching only, no extra activities like English
days and competitions’ is their mentality.
Principals and officials should be offered compulsory English
programmes and it should be continued. Their promotions or salary
increments will be granted only to those who possess the certificate
issued on completion of the course and only those who speak in English
at the interview. This effort will bring fortune to the teachers and
students who are sometimes deprived of their rights to English
education.
Most English teachers are out of the grip of the Principal and
Principal cannot supervise or at least observe the classroom teaching as
they are weak in English. When they are granted English education, they
will be strong in their administration too. As a result the teachers who
may not know their language and bluff in their classes will be careful
thereafter.
Further the teachers who are devoted to their profession can render a
better service as the Principals and other officials are no more
hypocrites without English. If English education is made compulsory to
the authority and continual professional development programmes for
teachers and officials are introduced, the effort of streamlining
English education will be a success.
Concluded
The writer is a teacher, lecturer of Child Psychology and Classroom
Management
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