‘Retrain’ the new teachers – Kaingu
FORMER education minister Michael Kaingu has proposed a refresher course in teaching methodology for recruited teachers before they are deployed.
He argues that most of recruited teachers had for many engaged in so many other jobs and errands.
“Some were councillors, beekeepers, fishermen, chicken keepers etc for many years,” Dr Kaingu noted. “I propose that an on line course in teaching methodology be introduced for the 30,000 teachers.”
He asks the question, “what is the quality of the recruited teachers?”
Dr Kaingu noted that so much has been said about the recruitment of over 30,000 teachers. “I won’t stop to congratulate the new dawn government for this unprecedented performance. Now let’s look at the quality of the recruited teachers. Are the teachers recruited because they can teach or remember how to teach or they are recruited because they did a teaching course? To teach, one should have done a teaching methodology. In fact, any one can teach his subject of expertise if he has done a teaching methodology. Teaching methodology must be practiced. To be a good teacher, you must practice your teaching methodology. The best teacher is the one recruited immediately after graduating from the college while the teaching methodology is still fresh in his or her mind,” Dr Kaingu told The Mast. “We are told that some of these teachers were on the streets for five years, others even more! They were engaged in so many other jobs and errands. Some were councillors, beekeepers, fishermen, chicken keepers etc for many years. It’s obvious that many have forgotten the teaching methodology. We are sending them to teach! What will be the quality of their work? What will be the quality of the learners or pupils coming out of these teachers’ classes? Wouldn’t it be better for us to give these teachers a refresher course, at least, in teaching methodology before sending them out there? The fundamental reason for recruiting these teachers is to improve the learners’ understanding of the subjects not to fill the classrooms. If the idea is to have many people going back to school, then let’s us just have education camps.”