Education begins with teachers. And with this year’s theme for World Teachers’ Day focusing on the global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage, we share insights on how we attract and retain quality teachers.
Given how critical teachers are in driving quality outcomes, it is vital that we are able to attract and retain the best teachers. In the rural areas where PEAS builds and runs schools, on-site accommodation and timely salary payments can be a huge factor in attracting and retaining great teachers. Having the option for teachers to stay on site is essential in attracting quality teachers to these rural areas and matching the additional student places.
This World Teachers’ Day, we are sharing why Joas, a teacher at PEAS Bridge Secondary School, enjoys working at a PEAS school.
Joas joined PEAS Bridge Secondary School in 2017 as a science and mathematics teacher. Here, he shares why he enjoys working in a PEAS school:
“The school is quite special in the way they treat us. Our salaries are always paid on time, we also get food as part of the job. During the covid-19 lockdown, the school continued to pay our salaries, this was a huge help. Many schools do not pay salaries during crises like lockdown. We get to play sports and interact with our students which is very rewarding.”
“The classrooms are safe and clean. PEAS also provide accommodation for some of the teachers, they just started constructing more accommodation for staff which will help us all.”
“In other schools, we have seen teachers caning students and kids were understandably fearing the teachers. Here, the students interact with us freely and they do not fear us, we have an open dialogue with all our students. I find this is very conducive to great work and learning. This shows as the academic performance is very good compared to other schools in the area, we keep increasing the number of children who finish school every year.”