The lack of sufficient teachers in schools is a growing concern. When schools wait until the last minute to hire, they often end up with under qualified or overworked teachers. Teachers are the backbone of any school system, and when their workload increases due to shortages, it affects their creativity, motivation, and ultimately the standard of teaching. If a teacher is overworked, he or she loses interest in their role, which demotivates them and harms the students.
Impact on Student Learning
A shortage of teachers does not only affect the teaching staff but also the students. When teachers are not able to engage creatively with students, the learning process becomes stagnant. When there aren’t enough teachers to provide personalised attention, the opportunity for students to think outside the box and engage in creative learning disappears.
The Struggle of Maintaining Teacher-Student Ratio
Maintaining the right balance of teachers to students is a tough challenge, especially for schools with limited resources. The school budget often fails to allocate enough funds for competitive teacher salaries, leading to a shortage of qualified staff and results in constant job-hopping, schools are left with temporary or unqualified staff.
Improving Education with More Teachers
When there are enough teachers, there’s more opportunity for teamwork and planning. Teachers can focus on each child’s needs, and individual learning styles can be better addressed.
Teachers can devote more time to each student, fostering a more personalised learning experience. Every child has a different learning style and with a good teacher-student ratio, we can help each child thrive.
The Pitfalls of Unqualified Teachers
While hiring unqualified or temporary teachers may be a short-term solution to the problem of teacher shortages. A teacher’s basic qualification is crucial. A teacher needs the foundational knowledge that comes from formal training, like a B.Ed, to be effective in the classroom.
Without this training, new teachers may struggle to adapt to the classroom environment, affecting their ability to engage students and manage the class effectively.
Changing Society’s Perception of Teaching
In our society, teaching is often seen as a last resort for those who can’t find another job. This perception must change. Teaching is a noble profession that deserves greater respect and recognition. Providing teachers with better compensation, professional development opportunities, and a higher level of respect in society, teaching can become a more attractive career choice.
Support for Unqualified Teachers
Introduce an incubation or internship period for new educators. Freshers could be hired, trained, and assessed by schools. The four-year integrated BA+B.Ed programme introduced by the National Education Policy (NEP) is a positive step towards training teachers from the outset. Kumari is hopeful that, in the long run, this initiative will attract more young people to the teaching profession as their first choice.