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Saturday, 4 February 2012

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Where is our English education heading for?

[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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