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Head teachers urged to discipline errant staffers
…or risk being disciplined themselves
Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam
Public school teachers are being urged to demonstrate a higher level of output through better attendance, punctuality and preparedness, a process that must be keenly monitored by head teachers. In fact, a statement from the Ministry of Education has outlined that failure to adhere to such measures should see teachers being disciplined by the respective school’s head.
Moreover, all Department Officers have been informed that where there is evidence that suggests Heads have not taken the necessary disciplinary steps to curb the associated ills in the system, the Ministry will take steps to charge the errant teachers, and also institute disciplinary action against the Heads and their Deputies.
This assertion, which was recently vocalized by Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, comes at a time when the Ministry is celebrating Education Month and has commenced the 2014/2015 academic year.
At a recent Heads of Schools meeting, Sam shared his conviction that the education system has been showing some progress. He however, noted that the concern that lingers is that this progress is still concentrated in pockets, and is not as widespread as the system requires.
The Chief Education Officer (CEO) therefore, outlined that the Ministry has devised programmes and initiatives that are centred on moving the system even further. He pointed out to those gathered, that at the core of this state of affairs is what he terms the “teacher factor”.
The CEO made it pellucid that teachers cannot continue to show up late for duty and in some instances not show up at all.
“In 2014, it really is an indictment of the system that we are still grappling with issues in relation to teacher attendance and punctuality. I maintain that we cannot see true progress in education if our teachers continue to arrive to work late, unprepared, and abuse their annual leave concessions.”
The CEO asserted that school Heads must fervently seek to manage the attendance, punctuality and preparedness of their teaching staff.
In his message to the meeting of Heads, he posited that the Ministry has adopted a no-nonsense approach to such unprofessional conduct even as he went on to point out that “the reality is that the system can no longer condone these malpractices if we are serious about progress.”
He further cautioned all Heads and other senior officers to follow proper procedures in relation to disciplining of teachers who breach these basic policies. Education managers, according to him, must establish a work ethic that makes attendance, punctuality and preparedness priorities in their schools.
These, Sam insisted, are key pillars upon which improved output depends, as he stressed the need for Head teachers to state openly to all of their teachers that they are now expected to demonstrate a higher level of output in these areas.
Head teachers are also being encouraged to devise monitoring mechanisms to ensure the various measures to bolster efficiency are fully realized.
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