By LETRE SWEETING
lsweeting@tribunemedia.net
THE Ministry of Education plans to implement recommendations aimed at improving teacher morale based on findings from a survey of some 755 public school educators and literature research.
The Teachers Morale Committee Report, released yesterday during a press conference at the Ministry of Education, provided some short, medium and long-term initiatives with expected timelines of 12 months to three or more years.
The recommended initiatives are based on nine months’ worth of work from the Teachers Morale Committee which during that time prepared the “We Care. You Matter!” Survey with the help of the Planning and Research Section of the Ministry of Education. In partnership with University of The Bahamas, members of the committee also prepared a literature review on teacher morale.
Education Minister Glenys Hanna Martin stressed the importance of the findings from the report and mentioned some of the key recommendations and initiatives planned for improving teacher morale.
“We know that education is the key to our national development, and that in this regard, our teachers are central. Understanding this critical role and cognizance of the challenges faced in the educational system, we determined to zoom into the core issues and bring about solutions to seek to redress what we anticipated was the dampened morale of many of our teachers,” Mrs Hanna Martin said.
“A committee was formed, and one of the first steps was to conduct a survey of our teachers, as you’ve heard, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds responded. The findings were an eye opener and contained the cries of our teachers. The survey sought to discern the full gamut of the issues which impact teacher productivity and self-fulfilment,” she said.
“The results of the online survey, when coupled with a literature review of similar views expressed by teachers in the region have placed before us some hard truths about how teachers feel about their jobs, and what they feel should be done to improve their capacity to function. We know for instance, that of the 755 teachers who responded to the online survey, more than 50 percent of them reported that they did not feel appreciated,” Mrs Hanna Martin said.
“However, most teachers, 76.3 percent, reported that they still felt motivated to do their jobs. That tells you something. Additionally, 79.4 percent of the respondents indicated that they were satisfied with their jobs, and 84.9 percent of respondents revealed that they enjoyed their jobs. So it’s a strange mix there happening,” she said.
“However, the educators also reported not feeling respected, a lack of adequate resources and they cited the need for policy reform in areas such as performance, assessment documents, opportunities for advancement, improved domicile incentives for Family Island postings and the need for class size reductions and teacher mentorship,” Mrs Hanna Martin said.
“Concerns were also expressed about human resource challenges. And that’s another story, for another day and poor school leadership, appropriate staffing, obsolete curriculum, mental health support, communication from the teachers were also singled out as inadequate, as well as physical resources and a lack of parental involvement. The need for timetabling and other training and additional professional development opportunities were also identified for address,” she said.
“Perhaps the most profound recommendation emanating from the report, in terms of the financial sustainability of teachers, is the commitment to bring teacher salaries in line with top tier professionals, such as engineers, physicians and attorneys. It was the view of the committee that this is a very concrete and necessary step in the right direction,” Mrs Hanna Martin said.
Acting education director Dominique McCartney-Russell added: “The recommendations have been endorsed by Cabinet and so we are in the process now of making concrete, things that are initially abstract, but wanting you to know that they are very much grounded in the realities that we have heard and many of us have experienced ourselves. And so we will be moving diligently to remain within the timeframe and you will be informed as things are accomplished.”
The full 141-page Teachers Morale Committee Report is available for the public at ministry education bahamas.com
The Teachers Morale Committee commenced its work in January 2022. A series of meetings were held and it was agreed that research was necessary to draft recommendations for improving teacher morale.
Recommended short-term initiatives expected to be implemented within 12 months include a letter of appreciation for all teachers from the education minister, vouchers of at least $250 to improve classrooms, teachers being allowed to submit proposals for professional development, and a digital suggestion portal and request space.
Two to three year recommended medium-term initiatives include double increments for high performing teachers, media highlights of teachers, teachers’ voice talk show, partnerships between schools and corporate Bahamas, a programme for teacher empowerment, partnerships with businesses for professional development, and strengthened human resource functions within schools.
Long-term goals include better teacher salaries on par with professionals, classes within the public service and an increased budget for In-service Training Awards.