If you can read this, thank a teacher.

Opinions on Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Columnist: Joe Kingsley Eyiah

2020-10-06

October 5, 2015 was again World Teachers’ Day. This day is a special day for teacher appreciation and I salute all my teachers, especially my Middle Form 2 teacher whom we nicknamed ‘Mr. Orangutan and my favorite principal, Mr. Kumi (from blessed memory), all from Agona Swedru Salvation Army High School in Ghana.

I was saddened that in Ontario, Canada, teachers prior to this year’s COVID-19 pandemic had to trigger industrial action to get the Ontario PC government to meet the demand for teachers (employment contract expired) from better service conditions, including smaller class sizes for teaching and learning. Even amid this school year pandemic, the PC government in Ontario has not addressed the class size issue well.

This has made social distancing, which is one of the most important measures to control the spread of the coronavirus, a ridiculous issue in Ontario public schools. Some schools in Toronto have had to close recently after reopening due to the spread of COVID-19 in those schools.

In other places, teachers are killed in the classroom in the line of duty to some students and by some students. In the US alone, for example, in the past four years there have been about 34 school shootings during which teachers were victims. In other countries, teachers are insulted and abused by parents whose children are under their supervision most of the day.

World Teachers’ Day, instituted by the United Nations (UN), celebrates the role that teachers play in the provision of quality education at all levels. This allows children and adults of all ages to learn to participate and contribute to their local community and to global society. Education is the key to development everywhere and teachers, whose role in education is fundamental, must be respected and honored everywhere.

Now, teachers from around the world have joined nurses, doctors and personal support workers as front-line workers in their return to school during this pandemic. The second wave of COVID-19 is here and my prayers go out to all frontline workers, including classroom teachers who are ‘producers’ of ALL professionals for the development of our economies and, indeed, our nations.

AYEKOO for teachers around the world! Happy teacher’s day!!