SA's teachers need to be appreciated, not undermined Modidima Mannya, The New Age, Johannesburg, 23 April 2015 The latest decision regarding the reappointment of teachers who resigned to cash in their hard earned pensions and thereafter return to the system, seems to suggest that the powers-that-be might be lost completely in understanding the real nature of our socio-economic situation and the stated objectives to improve on education outcomes. But it also exposes a system that continues to be reactive instead of proactively addressing the systemic issues having an adverse impact on our education system. Firstly, it is understandable that government is concerned about this phenomenon of teachers in particular cashing in their pensions before retirement age. This must be a concern because it is the hard-earned money of these teachers which lies in the pension funds which contribute significantly to the economic base of this country. So these teachers, in addition to their jobs as the developers of young minds also play a very important role of keeping our economy afloat. So for these reasons the concerns are founded. Secondly, it is understandable that the turnover of teachers will ordinarily have an adverse impact on learning and teaching in schools both in terms of quality and quantity. Good teachers develop over time. Their experience becomes one of the most invaluable assets in the learning and teaching process. The experienced ones becomes the beacon for the new entrants in to the profession. For this reason also, the turnover of teachers, for whatever reason, must be a matter of serious concern. But should the teachers be blamed for leaving the profession, for whatever reason? Clearly not if you fully understand the situation today. Not that it was better before, but the pressure has increased over time. Whether because of policy changes or other factors. It is disingenuous to punish teachers for withdrawing their pension funds even with the understanding of the implications thereof. What does not come out clear even with the logic and sound explanations given to discourage this recent practice is whether these teachers must live with their economic pressures and allow the rest of the country to have a sound liquidity base. That would be an ideal, but one that does not take into account the value and importance of teachers with much less personal pressure. Teachers deal with the most vulnerable members of society, children. Not only do they teach, but parent as well. They play a very important role in the development of our children and the least we need is for them to fail us on this one owing to their personal pressures. Whether rightly or wrongly, we are not a society that saves as much as we should, if we do at all. This is where government must focus its attention. Teachers and others who contribute to the government pension fund must not be made to carry the burden of a society that does not save. It is mainly owing to this non saving tendency that the risk to the economy lies, not because teachers resign and cash on their pensions. The more disturbing part which might just reveal a higher level of ignorance is the reality that the country is short of teachers in the first place. Our numbers and skills base does not add up. Our production levels are well below the minimum threshold required. It thus becomes very interesting when a decision of this nature is taken. Where will education departments get the teachers it needs in the first place to replace the ones who must not be hired or given last preference? We are already battling to recruit teachers in the system to the remote and rural areas especially in those categories of scarce skills. The various policies adopted to facilitate this, such as the scarce skills and rural allowances, have still not been fully implemented. The teachers who are resigning are the most the skilled and experienced ones, not new entrants. To dictate to communities not to hire teachers they believe can improve the quality of education in their schools defies logic and questions the real commitment to improving on the quality of education outcomes. The government will be better placed to deal with these problems if it looks into the root causes rather than these uninformed punitive measures. Teachers do not benefit from their money invested by the pension fund. It benefits others, mainly those who do not even contribute to the pension fund. And they are expected to live in agony to sustain an economy that appears oblivious to their plight. The government must look at other innovative measures. Explaining the impact of withdrawing from the pension fund on its own is wholly inadequate. It does not address the reality of those affected. Teachers are not irresponsible citizens who want to crash the economy of this country. It is not in their interests either, and they must not be held to ransom. . Modidima Mannya is writer, commentator and management consultant. Transcribed -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "YCLSA Discussion Forum" group. 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