High levels of stress among teachers and school leaders are having a huge impact on their performance in the teaching and learning process in the classrooms.
Therefore, teachers need to be fully supported to perform their roles effectively, panelists concurred in a Pacific Regional Education Framework webinar organised to commemorate World Teachers Day on October 5.
Discussions followed presentations by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (EQAP) Education Assessment Officer, Ms Seema Prasad, who presented on the 2021 Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA) report findings, which highlighted that a high proportion of students in the region have teachers who are experiencing stress and feeling overwhelmed by their work.
Ms Prasad also highlighted that about half the students have teachers who reported not having enough time to manage their well-being through their personal life.
Speaking as part of the webinar, Monash University academic, Professor Umesh Sharma spoke on the need for teachers to be well prepared by teacher training institutions to handle challenging situations in their classrooms.
“Teachers should be prepared to handle difficult classroom situations to ensure they are not stressed when faced with such challenging situations.”
He added that incorporating traditional and cultural practices such as talanoa in teaching and learning could be a unique Pacific solution for tackling difficult situations and inclusive education.
Professor Sharma recommended that universities and teacher training institutions to work with school teachers in their countries to share ideas on ways to develop teaching in the region.
“School teachers and higher education providers need to work together and bridge gaps through partnerships with academic lecturers, learning about each other’s journey, which has worked in the Solomon Islands. They can come together, share their challenges, and help create a more enjoyable environment to teach and provide a safe and valuable learning space for children.”
Council of Pacific Education (COPE) General Secretary, Mr Govind Singh, believes that the focus should be on finding out what factors are causing teachers to be stressed out.
And the comments echoed by school heads who participated in the webinar that there are multiple reasons teachers are burned out and that education ministries should investigate these factors.
“I believe teachers need to be taken care of. They must be cared for and given a good working environment, resources and facilities to perform. Information needs to be effectively communicated, and they must also be respected,” said a webinar participant.
Another participant shared that teachers are not being supported enough to further their education and that various regional education ministries should invest in setting up teacher training institutions to assist teachers with further training.
The PacREF webinar with the theme “The transformation of Education begins with Teachers” brought together more than 60 teachers and heads of schools from across the Pacific region to reflect on the critical role of teachers in transforming learners’ potential in the Pacific.
Panelists highlighted key issues, including ways to improve the teaching profession, discussed issues identified with educators and the teaching process and shared ideas on ways untrained teachers can be assisted in upgrading their qualifications.
