The student’s learning mainly depends upon a teacher’s education, knowledge about the subject and way of teaching that subject. Over the past few years, it has been observed that the number of teachers with relevant subject qualification has declined in the schools. The shortages of subject specialists in Pakistani schools have led to an incompetent academic performance of the schools and non-professional teaching environment in classrooms.
In most schools, both primary and secondary level teachers are assigned to teach at least two subjects. The combination of subjects varies differently in schools, for instance English and History, Science and Computer, Urdu and Geography, Islamiat and Mathematics may be combined. The school management does not even bother to consider whether the concerned teacher has the knowledge and capability to teach the subject. Therefore it is most probable that the children are not being properly taught by the teacher who is not a subject specialist.
The blame goes to the school management, who at the time of selection, hire under-qualified and incompetent individuals on low salaries. Due to severe unemployment in the country most people opt to enter the profession of teaching. As a result, a majority of teachers in schools lack the teaching skills and motivational techniques to help students learn in a creative way.
According to the principal of a private school, their budget does not permit to have subject specialists at every level in the school.
During my visit to a private school, I was informed by the students of grade seven and eight that the subject of History was being taught to them by an Urdu teacher. They found their History period too boring and unexciting. The teacher came to the class unprepared, without lesson planning, and was unable to deliver the lecture clearly. Therefore, the students instead of attending the class found some other alternative to pass the time and engaged themselves in playing games.
I also observed that during the lecture the teachers do not captivate and stimulate pupils with exciting ideas. They ask them to read the topic while no introduction and discussion of the topic is done. The teacher writes question and answers on the blackboard. Students copy down the work having no understanding of what is been taught. Moreover, students are also assigned homework and written assignments but no teacher’s guidance and assistance is provided which could make their work interesting.
Parents agree that ineffective teaching affects the learning of the children. Students can not enhance their knowledge and learning from incompetent teachers. Thus, there is a risk of losing interest in their studies. Similarly, other parents said, “Someone who is a teacher of Mathematics might not feel comfortable with teaching the rules of grammar and punctuation in English language. This can only be done by an efficient and dedicated English teacher.”
A teacher while sharing her views said that during her 10-year teaching career, she taught different subjects at both primary and secondary levels. She believed that it really does not matter if the teacher is not subject qualified to teach certain topics. What matters is that the teacher can engage, entertain and inspire children to learn more. Only an outstanding teacher can engage children most effectively in any subject.
I believe that students at the primary level are more in need of subject-specialist teachers since early education is a particularly formative time for young children when they get inspired by the positive experiences and behaviour of the teachers, gain knowledge and develop interest in the subject. The basic skill of a child is groomed by someone who by applying innovative teaching methodologies increases a student’s love for the subject which they could take up for higher studies. Children who were taught by under-qualified teachers at the primary level faced great problems when they went on to secondary school. Inadequate conceptual understanding of the subject created more trouble since the teacher never emphasised to study the subject in depth. Due to ineffective teaching their learning remains stagnant.
As we see that education becomes more challenging for students at the secondary level, it is essential that the subject teachers have sound academic backgrounds and vast knowledge of their subjects. The teacher also plays a pivotal role by providing clear guidelines to the students regarding choosing the subject for their future education.
I still remember my English teacher in Grade VIII, the best teacher I have ever seen. Her teaching capabilities revolve around choosing creative techniques, which arouse thinking creatively in students and sorting their opinions. These strategies build up the learning skills of the children. While teaching English novels and plays and English Grammar, she made the environment of the classroom more exciting and interesting, the students filled with curiosity, and enthusiasm enjoyed and enhanced their speaking and writing skills. The boring novels or plays appear to be so attractive as we students began to feel that we had become a part of the dramatic scene.
Our schools desperately need outstanding subject specialists, possessing a sense of motivation and passion and quest of knowledge of not only improving their teaching expertise but also assist the students to explore new ways to enhance their learning process. The school management at the time of selection must conduct a teachers’ certification test. The multiple subject tests are designed to assess teaching capabilities of a teacher .These tests will assist in selecting those individuals who are eligible for the teaching profession and could teach the subject well. I also suggest that after selection of the teachers, teachers’ training courses must be conducted in the schools for assisting the teachers to use modern methodologies and motivational techniques to make their teaching more interactive.
The writer is a teacher.
sadiawali@hotmail.com
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