Audio By Vocalize
The current wind of school unrest has pushed our backs against the wall and we have only two options: Give in or fight back. The bizarre incidents involving our children have still exposed our underbelly as a nation. We tend to be reactive rather than proactive. It is the reason why we trade blame and never come up with a long lasting solution.
The blame game has gone in circles and has mostly left the teacher more injured than before. The teacher has become the punching-bag. Stones have been thrown by government administrators, politicians, parents and of course the students. The teachers are accused of being too young to mentor (Gen Z teachers), too hard on the children, too lenient, just to mention but a few. Are we really honest?
There was a time when the word “Mwalimu” was a brand. In fact, an honourable tag. Spread across our nation are homes known by the name “Mwalimu.” When teachers join the profession, they are told the profession is “a noble profession.”
When they join the profession and their dues are delayed, they are told teaching is “a calling.” A calling or not, you can concur with me that the nobility of the teaching profession has been slapped on the face by the very society that once elevated it.
