Teachers can't work for charity 0 By Edward ShatiTeaching is a prestigious profession, but teachers are not paid as much as they deserve in Namibia. Teaching is by no measure an easy job. The hours are long, the demands are high, the working conditions are often challenging. Can we still say that our teachers don’t deserve a raise? Being an educator comes with its own unique rewards. Good teachers have a huge and positive impact on learners. They literally change lives. There are few other professions out there that offer as much opportunity to directly serve and inspire so many people at once.
In the Namibian society, teachers act as civil agents of community development by shaping the Namibian society. It is not right that teachers are underpaid; money is a great incentive that motivates people to work. Money functions as motivation and can give teachers the desire to work hard and commit to their jobs. All teachers want the 8% increase, their demands are intelligent given the nature of the work teachers do and their role in society.
We recognise that not all public teachers are the same. There are those who are dedicated to their job and there are also teachers who are not serious with their job (this is normal in every profession). But of course if they will enjoy a hike in their salaries and benefits, it will surely make them happier and more motivated to work? We recognise there are a few teachers who don’t care about the amount of money they receive from the government as long as they’re happy serving the country and seeing their learners become successful; that’s why they did not vote in favour of the strike. But whether they’re keen or not on a salary hike, giving them the benefits they deserve will surely make them happier, more valued, and more appreciated.
Teachers deserve the 8%. Teachers are the basis of all education. Without teachers, people wouldn''t have the skills they need for most jobs. With more pay for teachers, the job would attract more educated people to the role of teaching. Teaching is one of the most important jobs in the whole society and things would be a lot different without these people. Teachers work extremely hard and are not recognised for that. Teachers need to be incentivised as these incentives will encourage more people to pursue teaching careers at university and in the long run, the teacher shortage will also be addressed.
The Namibia National Teachers’ Union (Nantu) is not betraying its members. Nantu as a patriotic institution is fighting a good cause for fighting for teachers’ interests and demands. Nantu understands teachers’ struggles and their working conditions which government leaders, particularly the minister of education and comrade president, failed to recognise. President Geingob said teachers must be proud that they have jobs because there are unemployed people in society and government is stilling doing a lot to create more jobs, but what he failed to recognise is that most teachers are skilled professionals with academic qualifications. The distinction between the unemployed people in society that comrade president cares about and teachers is that most of the unemployed lack qualifications and skills that the labour industry is demanding, and this is why many are unemployed. However the labour industry cannot accommodate so many workers that’s why the jobless portion in society that comrade president cares about cannot find jobs.
Nantu as an institution is fighting for what Namibian teachers deserve and on the other hand government leaders are stingy, rude and do not care truly about the suffering being imposed on the education fraternity. If teachers boycott their duties many learners will suffer particularly those writing their national examinations in the junior and senior secondary phase.
They truly deserve it! Teachers can’t work for charity when shaping the Namibian society as shaping the Namibian society is the great responsibility of teachers as civil servants. This responsibility has been entrusted in teachers by the institutions of higher learning where teachers obtained their qualifications as wellas the Namibian government. It would be meaningful if the responsibility entrusted to teachers to shape the Namibian house is compensated well financially. Our public funds are used on unnecessary and undeserving expenditure. Politicians increased their salaries and allowances for performing unknown tasks but they only filled Cabinet positions not so long ago. One of the reasons why the Namibian government taxes its people is to have enough revenue and carry out its social and economic objectives such as to improve the social conditions of its own people. Taxpayers’ money is spent on things that have nothing to do with social welfare and social progression.
It’s high time for our government to value the builders of the nation and not only politicians, but also other professionals, particularly the teaching profession. As a developing nation the only valuable assets we have at our disposal as a nation is teachers who have committed their teaching efforts and lives to the shaping of the Namibian house. Our government can never be a prosperous government with good governance when it is exclusive in the wage and salary adjustment of its own people. Government should give the 8% to teachers, 5% is not enough to incentivise them to do greater. Teachers deserve the same love given to any other profession.
*Edward Shati is a third-year student studying towards a degree (Honours) in Education at the University of Namibia (Unam).