I read with great interest that the TSC (Teaching Service Commission) is looking at delinquent teachers with respect to punctuality and irregularity and even their non-response to bullying. I would also like them to look into the following, because these things have gone on for far too long.The TSC should stop every teacher from using his or her vehicle to do "school business" including carrying ill children to and from health centres and hospitals, and transporting children to and from sporting and cultural events. The nerve of these educators!
They should insist that all fund-raising activities be stopped. If it continues unabated, a bad message would be sent to society and the Ministry of National Security may adopt this "money spinner" to purchase bullet-proof vests.The TSC should also stop teachers from giving free lessons before school starts on mornings, and also after school, because they are not being paid for it and nobody asked them to do it. This uses up too much of the children's play time.
The TSC should make it an offence for teachers to purchase lunch for hungry children who are not on the lunch list. Added to that would be the purchasing of stationery for children who come to school without books, pencils or pens. This behaviour of teachers borderlines on ludicrous!
The TSC should investigate each and every case of children being treated around Christmas time. This is a complete waste of snacks, food and drinks. Additionally, making children happy is not part of their job. This should be saved for the homeless in society.
The TSC should also prevent teachers from buying their own supplies like whiteboard markers, resource textbooks, flash drives, bristol board, thumb tacks and masking tape. Good grief! It appears that these teachers have nothing better to do than shop, shop, shop!Use of their personal laptops to "teach the people children" should make it on the negative list!
Finally, the TSC should mandate that graduations, sports and Carnival activities in schools should be co-ordinated and overseen by professional event managers. These activities waste too much time which could be better spent in classroom teaching. I fear that if these things are not dealt with expeditiously, a rift in the space time continuum just might happen.
Andy Jangeesingh
via e-mail