Hon. Walwyn tells teachers to give of their best or leave the job!
The Minister was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Ministry of Education’s Professional Day, an activity which saw hundred of persons within the education system converging at the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium, H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) on August 26, 2013.
“We are demanding that you give 100 per cent of your time and talent. Teaching is not an easy profession but it is the profession that you have chosen...” Hon. Walwyn insisted.
However, teachers were not the only ones that were beseeched by the Minister but also principals and education officers who allegedly sit in their offices and wait for issues within the school systems to be made public via the media before they take action.
“We want to discourage principals from running their schools from their offices. We want principals to be at ground zero. I have spoken to our Acting Chief Education Officer, Mrs Jillian Douglas-Phillips and I told her that I want to see her, as well as her education officers, out in our schools. We cannot know the difficulties our schools are experiencing from the comforts of the Administration Complex. If there is a situation in a school, the Ministry needs your first hand report of that situation before it hits the news,” Hon. Walwyn stated.
The call was also made for more emphasis to be placed on students considered weak as, according to Hon. Walwyn, “Bright children will always be bright no matter what class you put them in. Teachers, it is your responsibility to seek out those who have challenges in their learning and find ways to reach and teach them,” he said.
Teachers should practice speaking Standard English
Acting Chief Education Officer Mrs Jillian Douglas-Phillips, during her welcoming remarks, spoke at length about the need for persons in the education system to practice speaking Standard English. She said it has been one of the contributing factors to students performing poorly and even leaving the school system not having a good command of the English language.
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20 Responses to “Hon. Walwyn tells teachers to give of their best or leave the job!”
Hope he use the same advise for himself as he is doing a horrible job as a Minister..
Too many are in that job and are really not interested in teaching at all.
Perhaps a job as a tourist "Barker" would be better suited for most of them..
As such, effective leaders light a fire within, not under team members. Lighting a fire within motivates team members to perform excellently on their own initiative without the consequences of threats. Yes, there are times to breakout the BIG stick but with effective leadership this would be a last resort. Lighting a fire under team members achieves short-term success and requires much more effort and resources. However, lighting(motivating) a fire within produces self-directed and highly motivated team members, creating a high performing organization. Generally, using positional authority to get things done is temporary. Team members perform because they need to protect their jobs not because they are motivated to.
Further, an effective leader and manager motivate team members, recognize top performers, coach and counsel poor performance and part ways with members who failed to respond to constructive feedback.
Teachers provide invaluable community service and are the brick and mortar and the foundation of the growth and development of the territory. Teachers contributed immensely to the success of doctors, lawyers, engineers, nurses, teachers, plumbers, auto mechanics, electricians, accountants, farmers, politicians….etc. Consequently, they need to be effectively led, not threatened.