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Valuing Teachers Guyana

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Valuing Teachers Guyana Making Teachers Count Voices and views from the classroom A policy research report on Guyanese teachers’ attitudes to their own profession Making Teachers Count: Voices and views from the classroom VSO Guyana Valuing Teachers 2 A Teacher’s Plight Faced with 40 faces each morning I am aware of my lack of enthusiasm and intense yearning. It is not by desire I experience these sentiment. However, they overwhelm me because of the difficulty of imparting knowledge. Concerned: with very few and inadequate instrument; The frustration and anxieties of having the time consuming task Of making them comfortable, When furniture and ventilation should not have caused any preamble; It is an obvious setback and great injustice To stress only the theory and neglect the practice! Failure to prepare, lack of interest are no reason But powerlessness. My plights are shared, not merely to vent or seek sympathy But to appeal to humane emotion In those having the responsibility. Minerva Munroe, teacher 24 September 2003 3 Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................................................5 List of acronyms and abbreviations ............................................................................................................6 1 Executive summary ............................................................................................................................7 2 Introduction........................................................................................................................................9 2.1 Research process and methodology ................................................................................................................ 10 3 Contextual analysis........................................................................................................................... 11 3.1 Socio-economic overview of Guyana ............................................................................................................. 11 3.2 Education policy................................................................................................................................................. 11 3.3 Structure of the education system ................................................................................................................... 12 3.4 Teacher supply and demand............................................................................................................................. 12 3.5 Education expenditure, international institutions and development agencies ......................................... 13 4 Research findings on factors affecting teacher motivation .............................................................. 15 4.1 Good leadership and management.................................................................................................................. 16 4.1.1 Teachers need support and their opinions should be valued................................................................. 16 4.1.2 Teachers need to be included in the decision-making processes .......................................................... 17 4.2 Being valued as important stakeholders in the education system............................................................... 18 4.2.1 Teachers need positive communications and links with communities................................................. 18 4.2.2 Teachers need positive representations through the media ................................................................... 20 4.3 Being respected as professionals...................................................................................................................... 21 4.3.1 Teachers need an adequate basic salary ..................................................................................................... 21 4.3.2 Teachers need incentives to remain in teaching....................................................................................... 22 4.3.3 Teachers need to be given the authority to match their professional status and be able to access a suitable promotion system.......................................................................................................................................... 23 4.4 Being enabled to do the job.............................................................................................................................. 26 4.4.1 Teachers need a conducive learning environment in which to function effectively .......................... 26 4.4.2 Teachers need sufficient resources to deliver good quality lessons ...................................................... 27 4.4.3 Teachers need schools to have sufficient numbers of teachers............................................................. 29 5 Summary and conclusion..................................................................................................................30 6 Recommendations............................................................................................................................32 6.1 Good leadership and management.................................................................................................................. 32 6.1.1 Teachers need ................................................................................................................................................ 32 6.1.2 Recommendations......................................................................................................................................... 32 6.2 Being valued as important stakeholders in the education system............................................................... 32 6.2.1 Teachers need ................................................................................................................................................ 32 6.2.2 Recommendations......................................................................................................................................... 33 6.3 Being respected as professionals by parents, children and the education sector..................................... 33 6.3.1 Teachers need ................................................................................................................................................ 33 6.3.2 Recommendations......................................................................................................................................... 33 6.4 Being enabled to do the job.............................................................................................................................. 33 6.4.1 Teachers need ................................................................................................................................................ 33 6.4.2 Recommendations......................................................................................................................................... 34 7 Recommendations and responsibilities............................................................................................35 8 Bibliography .....................................................................................................................................36 9 Appendices........................................................................................................................................38 9.1 Appendix 1: Regional and school level participants..................................................................................... 38 9.2 Appendix 2: Key stakeholder interviews........................................................................................................ 39 9.3 Appendix 3: Focus groups discussion methodology.................................................................................... 40 9.4 Appendix 4: Example of a focus group discussion summary..................................................................... 44 9.5 Appendix 5: Profile sheet completed by focus group discussion participants......................................... 48 9.6 Appendix 6: Questionnaire completed by VSO volunteer.......................................................................... 49 9.7 Appendix 7: Policy round table agenda .......................................................................................................... 50 9.8 Appendix 8: Motivational themes; input/outputs ........................................................................................ 51 9.9 Appendix 9: Annual emphasis of the education strategic plan................................................................... 52 9.10 Appendix 10: EFA–FTI plans ......................................................................................................................... 53 9.11 Appendix 11: Table of comparison of research findings and policy directions....................................... 54 4 Acknowledgements Research Leena Vadher Text Leena Vadher Editing Lucy Tweedie; Lucia Fry; Lara Carim; Ann Marangos; Rachel Bishop Design VSO Creative Services The researcher would like to express thanks to all individuals who willingly discussed their thoughts, experiences and suggestions during the course of this research. The views expressed in this report are representative of individuals who participated in the research and may not necessarily reflect the views of VSO Guyana or VSO International. 5 Acronyms and abbreviations BEAMS Basic Education Access, Management Support programme CDB Caribbean
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