Teaching boss commends teachers on International Teachers' Day

The chairman of the Teaching Service Commission Michael Pearson wants to congratulate all the teachers throughout Papua New Guinea on the International Teachers Day which falls on Tuesday, October 5, 2010.

He said, throughout the world, the average teacher earns the equivalent of US$1 a day or K3 a day.  

 The elementary teacher trainees in PNG in their first year of teaching only earn this much.

He also said an average teacher had no shoes. 

Many Papua New Guinean teachers are bare-footed or have thongs.

The average student in a school sits on the floor without desks, often, on a dirt floor.

 Many of our elementary teachers know this situation well.

He said the average teacher lived in the traditional house of the people or in shanties and so did many of our teachers in PNG.

Pearson said many of our Papua New Guinean teachers relate to the situations of teachers in the rest of the world, which includes the underdeveloped countries, developing countries and developed countries.

He said in all countries, no matter how poor or rich, teachers gave rise - not only to the farmers or workers of the world but, also the engineers, professionals, doctors, politicians and the leaders of the world. 

“A popular car bumper notice says, ‘If you can read this, thank your teacher’,” Pearson said.

 “To my teachers in Papua New Guinea, in some ways we have the same conditions as many teachers throughout the world. 

We are fortunate that we are, despite what may seem poor conditions, actually above the average teacher.

“But that does not mean we should be complacent but instead work to improving the education we as individual teachers provide to our students.”

Pearson said the government had asked for universal basic education. 

To achieve this, it is vital that the government of PNG makes every effort to improve the conditions in schools for both teachers and students.

This includes providing the opportunity for many more of our children to take on teacher training.  

We need 4,500 trainees to give the teachers we will need.  

In two years time – we will only have half of this number.

Classes need to be of a size where teachers can give children some “one–on-one” time.   

This is not possible in classes of more than 40.

Teachers’ salaries need to improve to attract and retain teachers.

“To improve the real income of the teachers beyond a maintenance income – that is, teachers should have sufficient surplus income to purchase things beyond their everyday essentials so that they are in a position to provide those little extras to help with the education of the children,” Pearson said.

He said currently there were many other attractions out there which offered much better pay than teaching.

 It is only the dedication of our teachers to their children and profession which makes it possible for our education system to survive.

Pearson would like to congratulate the many teachers who have served PNG for well beyond 40 years and especially those, who despite reaching retirement age, have decided to continue teaching for the benefit of the children.

“To all the teachers in Papua New Guinea, both in and out of the teaching service, congratulations on the International Teachers Day 2010”, Pearson said.