Let me say that I believe in the truism “you can judge a community by how highly it values its teachers.”
Teachers are responsible for molding and shaping not only the hearts and minds of our children who depend on you for guidance in our difficult, fast paced, temptation filled world but also this country’s future citizens. More than ever, young people need the direction and the leadership that can be provided by teachers. You can light a fire of learning in our children which will burn for a lifetime.
I am sure we can all remember a teacher who had a significant impact on our lives; perhaps more than one.
So it is only right that we should have a Teachers’ Appreciation Day, a day to recognize and celebrate the important contributions of our teachers.
But perhaps we should do more than pat our teachers on the back once a year; perhaps we should provide a more tangible measure of our appreciation.
Now, I understand that it is easy to play to the crowd and it is easy to talk about money when you are not in a position to have to find it. But I do believe- and I think the recent incident at CHHS underlines this fact – that we risk grave dangers if we do not invest in the infrastructure of education. I do not mean just buildings, I mean the people who teach our children, those persons who have been charged with the truly awesome responsibility of educating our citizens.
All governments and political parties will say that education is high on their priorities, but for some reason that never seems to translate to money.
We need a new covenant between teachers, government and the public. If we want our children to go to good schools taught by energetic enthusiastic teachers we are going to have to pay for it.
So teachers you can count on me. As Shadow Minister of Education, I will champion the cause to improve your pay and conditions of service as well as infrastructural needs. You have my 100% support on that.
So, if you are fortunate enough to find yourself in the role of a teacher, accept my hearty congratulations and a profound word of thanks. Remember that God honors your profession just as surely as He offers His loving abundance to you and your students. With God’s help you are destined to reshape the future of our nation.
So, let me leave you with a quote “Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best.” — Bob Talber
Teachers, thank you for teaching our children what counts.
Hon. Josephine Connolly
Shadow Minister for Education
Peoples’ Democratic Movement
