The plight of teachers at the great Queen’s College

Nov 26, 2012 Letters

Dear Editor,
I write this letter to highlight some serious injustices that are taking place at my Alma Mata. Over the years I have heard and seen some things, but this beats all. My son came home last Monday due to the flea infestation at Queen’s College, and he was told to return to school on Wednesday in the hope that the problem would be fixed.
When he returned on Wednesday, the problem had become worse and I was then told to let him remain at home for the rest of the week so that this problem could be remedied.
Upon investigation I learnt that a senior member of the school’s Board of Directors was told about this problem since the week before and failed to do anything about it. What he actually did was berated the teachers for sending the children out of the school when they students reported to them that they were being bitten.
Moreso, the Director was more interested in the image of the school than the plight of the teachers and students, since he issued a directive that teachers must remain in the building while the pest control agents sprayed a poisonous substance in the hope of tackling this problem. Today I will not talk about the flea infestation which was probably caused by the heavy pile up of garbage at the back of the school.
There are also huge rats, dogs and cats roaming the school compound and these may have also contributed to this very infestation. Instead, I was told that it was the teachers who were once again blamed for this menace. Since when are teachers responsible for cleaning when there is an administrator who is paid to look into all these things?
However, if he is not given the necessary support, he too will be handicapped in performing his duties effectively. Thus the condition under which teachers work at Queen’s College are more deplorable in many ways than one.
It is not this issue that I seek to speak to but to highlight the plight of teachers at my alma mata for they are unable to speak for themselves. It was once spoken by a great philosopher that evil will continue to exist when good men and women sit back and do nothing.
Take for example the plight of one of the core subject teachers’ who has not been paid since the beginning of this year and when she asked about her salary the director in question said that she could leave the job if she so desires. Oh my goodness, is this man human? Would he have tolerated this if he was treated by his employers in this manner?
Tell me is this fair? Secondly, is it fair to teachers who have to teach sometimes 90 to 120 students in a class and when they cry out about the work load which involves marking IAs & SBA etc., they are given a cynical smile? Tell me, is it fair to the teachers who have to enter a classroom and have no piece of furniture to sit on but are still expected to teach or else? Are we still living in the days of Masa Buckra? I wonder!!!!
Is it fair to teachers who have to carry out practical SBAs with their students and there is no proper working stoves or refrigerator in the Home Economic Department to do these practicals, to the point that an affluent colleague parent decided to donate a stove so that his daughter could do her practical’s and not fail for want of equipment?
Is it fair for a teacher who has to take her own money to buy ice so that students’ practical could be stored in a cool place because the refrigerator has stopped working for a long time and the Director when told about it is saying that the school doesn’t have money? These are only a few of the injustices that are taking place at Queen’s College.
Further teachers at Queen’s College are expected to work above and beyond the call of duty, so as to keep this institution’s flag flying high, but with little or no support. When the students don’t excel as expected, they are verbally abused by high government officials.
Yes I would like to highlight that all educators know that academic excellence comes about when all the variables are working harmoniously to produce a desired result. This is definitely not happening at the great Queen’s College. Teachers are expected to make bricks out of straw like in the days of Moses.
I am first a human being before I am a parent and I will say that what is happening to teachers at Queen’s College is a travesty and must be highlighted to the public by someone.
I would not be one of the good men who know about the injustices taking place at this school and not say a word about it. The plight of teachers at this school is grave and I weep for then.
Concerned Parent

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The plight of teachers at the great Queen’s College

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