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Let teachers keep pace with the times

The proposal to evaluate school teachers’ performance and skills will change the education system for the better. Good teachers will make learning a joyous experience for students. A teacher helps a child distinguish right from wrong, inculcate values and generally, make him/her a better person. To fulfil these all important commitments, the teacher too must be adequately trained. Their skills too must be updated so that they are in the know of the latest developments. Only this will enable them to lead the way.

Kunhikannan

Koyilandy

The plan to elevate semi-skilled teachers to the level of skilled ones is laudable. But, one wonders how successful it will be! Not very long ago the government tried to introduce ‘punching system’ to make its employees more punctual. Strikes, uproar followed. The government finally yielded to the employees’ wishes. In this case, when evaluation gathers momentum, a great number of teachers will be found wanting. Will the government take punitive action?

A.C. Jayarajan

Kanhangad

Evaluation of teachers is unlikely to bring about any qualitative change in the education system. Teachers are educated, trained and qualified persons and spend their prescribed time in school, doing their duties. There is no need to assess their performance and knowledge.

Instead, why not evaluate the activities of students and parents at home? It is found that children, ignoring their studies, are playing computer games, and parents, instead of guiding their wards, are busy watching television, and talking endlessly on cell phones. Maybe, the government should conduct awareness classes for parents and students if it wants to change the education system.

Vincent Thomas Thykadan

Vallikunnu

Indicators of performance should be developed in consultation with teachers. Evaluation should be based on facts and not subjective judgment. Assessment should be made at least two times in an academic year. It will help the teacher compare the results of the first and second evaluations. On the basis of the first evaluation, one can improve teaching-learning process. There should be different persons to evaluate academic activities such as class room teaching, research, leadership, and community work. Classroom teaching can be assessed by students and research activities, by colleagues. Other activities such as community work can be evaluated by beneficiaries. All teachers should welcome this move. And take it in the right spirit.

R.K. Jayaprakash

Ottappalam

Evaluation is part and parcel of any work. It is a kind of feedback, after which one can correct oneself. But evaluating the performance of a teacher is not easy. The objectives, methodology and the persons to be deputed for evaluation are important. Bias will be disastrous. If done in a sincere and transparent manner, it will be welcomed by all.

B. Akshay

Palakkad

To prevent drop-outs at the primary school level, teaching must be made more interesting. Constant monitoring and qualitative evaluation by experts will help much in this matter. District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) should aim at improving performance of teachers. Teachers who have an aptitude for science and technology should be given opportunity to further their skills. It is a positive step on the part of the government.

K. Deviprasad

Koduvally

Formulating theories is easy. The hard part is implementation. Measures to improve the quality of education are always welcome. Periodical evaluation of performance of a worker in a firm may be effective in helping him to jack up his abilities, but the same methodology does not work in the case of a teacher or a government official whose duties are quite different. It cannot be measured. The new proposal is unlikely to find favour with the teaching community. It will make things more complicated. Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in his ‘Wings of Fire’ quoted one Idayadurai Solomon, a teacher of his Ramanathapuram school as having said “a good student could learn more from a bad teacher than a poor student from a skilled teacher.” Education depends more on the quality of students than that of teachers. Education should be more student-centric.

A.N. Balan

Thiruvananthapuram

Among teachers, now, performers and laggards are treated alike. There is no incentive for them to excel or to go beyond the routine requirements. Those who do not perform are not penalised either. The proposed move to assess the performance of the teachers on a continuous basis is welcome. Teachers need to upgrade knowledge and hone skills to fulfil their responsibilities in this age. Academic exchanges with other States can keep them in touch with the innovative methods practiced elsewhere. Best teacher awards can be instituted for every district. A revision of syllabi for teacher training courses to suit the changing scenario is urgently required.

The evaluation must be based on a transparent set of standards. There should not be any harassment. V.N. Mukundarajan

Thiruvananthapuram

I am a teacher and I welcome this move. Most teachers are not willing to introduce new methods of teaching, though they are given opportunities to attend training programmes and in-service courses. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and DIET try to improve the quality of teaching. But, somehow, we are not able to produce good results. Some of our teachers still follow old teaching techniques, since they are easy.

Basheer

Edacherry

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