Sunday, July 13, 2008

The naked truth

It's a sad day when teachers are seen as a commodity rather than as people. I'm interested in what the community thinks the $50,000 pa or thereabouts commits teachers to. The interesting case of the teacher that posed nude comes to mind. This person faced condemnation from the media and much of the general public.

Another one that springs to mind is that couples are not allowed to live together out of wedlock in catholic schools in Perth. Teachers discovered in this position are encouraged to either get married or find alternative employment. Is this fair?

Another is the fact that teachers are told where they can work, when they can resign and what jobs they can apply for within the department. As teachers they are told they have responsibilities to help out during the teacher crisis but no responsibility is felt for the teachers in duress that need a break from the classroom or for those that are looking for career progression. I even heard thirdhand that some staff were being refused taking their long service leave. Is this fair?

It seems the community wishes teachers to be pillars of the community (and for the most part they are). Is this high moral fibre a part of the job description? If so, what are these standards that are imposed upon teachers outside their immediate teaching performance, is it fair and are they being compensated adequately for the imposition?

Teachers are people too with their own needs and it seems that this needs to be considered a little bit more by those in the know.

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