KWAZULU-NATAL Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu has released damning findings from an investigation into claims of racism at Grosvenor Girls High School, south of Durban.

An independent panel was appointed to probe these allegations, and financial misconduct after protests broke out at the school in March.

The panel found that racism has been normalised at the school and is systematic and structural.

“The investigation has found that racism at Grosvenor Girls High School is systematic, structural and that white authority dominates all facets at the school. It also found that racism is normalised and that it is second nature at this school, that black people who are learners and employees at the school suffer in an atmosphere of being suppressed, oppressed and of being voiceless,” said Mshengu.

“The report lists a litany of instances where the principal has used derogatory, discriminatory, and dehumanizing language when dealing with race related issues.”

Earlier in February, angry learners took to the streets outside the Grosvenor Girls High School to protest against a school that allegedly treats black and coloured girls unfairly.

The learners alleged that racism was an ongoing issue at the school.

Parents shortly followed suit and joined their children who demanded change as well as the removal of the principal.

Mshengu said the report also mentions several instances where the principal has used derogatory and discriminatory language when dealing with students and employees.

“The principal has been at the cutting edge of entrenching racism in that school. Evidence was led where the principal constantly shouted at African learners, reminding them that Grosvenor Girl High is not a township school, and she must go back to these township schools,” said Mshengu.

“Educators are told and motivated to recruit more white learners because the school belongs to white learners according to the principal.”

Mshengu said the report has been forwarded to the Premier of the Province, Sihle Zikalala with a strong motivation that it should be used as a motivation for the appointment of a commission of inquiry into racism in schools within the province.
“Such a commission will assist us to uncover other racial sufferings and to develop norms and standards to prevent racial abuses in our schools,” he said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

THE provincial education department in KwaZulu-Natal has revealed that the number of unqualified teachers in classrooms has increased from 215 to 2,810 by May 2022.

This is according to parliamentary questions to the department.

The department revealed that in February 2020 it had only 215 unqualified teachers, a more than tenfold increase to 2810 by May 2022.

KZN Education’s response also revealed that the areas most affected in terms of unqualified teachers are:
• Zululand has 357 unqualified educators
• King Cetshwayo with 325
• UThukela 281
• Umgungundlovu 270 and;
• Pinetown 267.

The department said it was providing bursaries to the teachers to get their qualifications within the next five years.
If the qualification was not obtained within this period, the teachers would be replaced with qualified teachers.

According to KZN’s Democratic Alliance (DA), Education MEC, Kwazi Mshengu, in his February 2020 parliamentary reply, all unqualified teachers have been given 30 days notice from March 1 and will be reinstated by qualified teachers replaced by educators.

The DA said said grades still mattered as part of the overall educational process, and one of the biggest problems at the foundation stage was the inability to read meaningfully and a lack of fundamentals when it came to subjects such as maths.

“While these are not taught in grade R, this year forms the basis for developing cognitive skills for the following school year.”

The DA also questioned why unqualified R-rated teachers were hired when there was no shortage of qualified teachers at home.

“It is incomprehensible that the DOE chooses to keep ineligible individuals on its payroll while qualified teachers struggle with unemployment after years of study and debt,” the DA said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

THE Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on July 8 officially launched the Science Diplomacy Capital for Africa (SDCfA) initiative, at an event attended by diplomats and stakeholders at the CSIR International Convention Centre, in Tshwane.

The wide array of speakers all welcomed the initiative, asserting that it aimed to use collaboration to further South African and African science, technology and innovation to tackle global challenges, capitalising on available opportunities.
The SDCfA aims to promote multilateral collaboration to address the challenges facing humanity.

It aims to promote science collaboration across Africa and beyond, leveraging and connecting technology innovation with humanity.

Moreover, it aims to embed a culture of learning, underscored by good governance.

It also seeks to put science diplomacy at the heart of Africa’s socioeconomic development and growth.

A joint initiative between the DSI and CSIR, it is also open to partnerships.

The SDCfA, will, from this year to 2023, be in the development phase, during which it will aim to position the initiative as a strategic enabler and support for global scientific initiatives.

It will also aim to add value through quality education, reduced inequalities and partnerships for goals.

From 2023 to 2025, the initiative will focus on value-add interventions aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – in the context of the Societal Grand Challenges.

This includes the hosting of lectures, seminars, networking and visits to science and technology centres, besides others.

Planning beyond 2025 includes the establishment of a legal entity for the SDCfA.

Common themes the speakers addressed included that the SDCfA had the potential to transform Africa into a global leader in science, with the potential to create a new cohort of global companies concerned with human development.

Moreover, it was noted that it could be used to advance scientific excellence in Africa and at a global level, embrace collaboration and upskill the next generation of scientists.

It was also mentioned that the SDCfA would build on established and entrenched partnerships that were already running with different entities and the CSIR and the DSI, to bolster these.

The importance of civil society participation was also emphasised, with this noted as key to ensuring dialogue in the sector.

Several key stakeholders from forums, departments, initiatives, companies, universities and organisations, welcomed the initiative and expressed their support and willingness to partner.

In a speech delivered on his behalf – the Minister being absent owing to other commitments – Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Blade Nzimande said the SDCfA would be a valuable instrument to enhance the country’s contribution to pan-Africanism.

He lauded the collaboration it would engender and said key contributions from the initiative would include that the very best of African and South African scientific input and advice would be used to tackle key challenges such as climate change, poverty, inequality, unemployment and the energy crisis.

This, he said, would be done through enhanced networking with the diplomatic community and African science expertise.

Nzimande added that SDCfA would also promote and assist in science diplomacy partnerships and provide a platform to leverage experts to make new programmes.

He emphasised that, for partnerships to be truly inclusive, they must include previously disadvantaged people.

While this initiative aimed to bolster international collaboration, it was important that there was a hub for it, it was noted, that aligned with other countries globally undertaking city-led scientific diplomacy.

Therefore, the City of Tshwane will serve as such, with the initiative to be run out of the CSIR.

Tshwane, as executive capital city of the country, was said to be ideal for this, with its hosting of considerable foreign embassies and international organisations, science councils, universities, and a thriving community of private sector entities involved in science, research, development and industrialisation.

Engineering News

A senior professor at a well-known university in the center of Israel was arrested on Sunday on charges of selling drugs to his students, Israel Police said in a statement.

Police officers in the central Israel city of Yavne conducted a covert investigation for several weeks into the conduct of the professor, a laboratory head in his 60s, before raiding his home and detaining the suspect on Sunday.

The professor will be brought before a court in Rishon Lezion on Monday, with police set to request an extension of his remand while they investigate the matter further.

Police said they found a range of substances suspected to be dangerous drugs, in addition to various methods to create them.

Police allege that the man produced drugs in his home and then sold them to his students at the university that employs him.

In a statement, Tel Aviv University told Walla that it “hopes that the alleged suspicions will turn out to be untrue. We mention that every person is innocent until proven guilty.”

Speaking to Walla, one student called the allegations “completely absurd,” stating that “it does not match the culture in the [dental] school,” which he described as “more military than the military” and where “everything is according to the book.”

“Right now we’re laughing, but we’ll soon understand the magnitude of the incident. If it’s true it will shake the faculty,” another student told the news site. “It sucks that this exploded precisely where we are learning.”

Times of Israel

SOUTH Africa needs more artisans such as bricklayers, diesel mechanics, instrument technicians, riggers, auto electricians and millwrights.

The department of higher education, science & innovation says there is a high demand for tradesmen who are highly skilled and who primarily work in a technical field, doing skilled manual labour.

Minister Blade Nzimande says the department is working hard to encourage young people to become artisans
“In 2014, we launched the decade of the artisan, which seeks to promote artisanship as a career of choice for SA’s youth and highlights skills development opportunities for artisans.”

Mihle Mvelakubi, 25, from Flagstaff, owns Mvelakubi Civil Engineering and Projects, which does bricklaying, tiling, plumbing and paving.

Mvelakubi says his passion had started when he was a learner at Agulhas School of Skills in Napier in the Western Cape, where he specialised in bricklaying and plastering, woodwork, welding and agriculture.

After school, he chose the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) route, doing an NC (V) civil engineering and building construction level 2-4 programme. He eventually obtained a national diploma in civil engineering and building, after completing his N4 to N6 at the College of Cape Town.

In 2017, he represented SA in bricklaying at the WorldSkills international competition in the UAE.

“The competition helped me realise that bricklaying is not just a trade, but is also an art that I developed through consistent practice, great mentorship and guidance.

“Without skills, we wouldn’t have had any of the things we have, such as buildings, cars, planes and trains.

For the economy to grow, we need all these skills and critical thinking. It is the TVET institutions that create these skilled people
“For the economy to grow, we need all these skills and critical thinking. It is the TVET institutions that create these skilled people,” said Mvelakubi.

To enter a recognised learning programme to become an artisan, you must get at least 40% for mathematics (excluding maths literacy) and a grade 9 or national certificate level 2 pass.

You will need to attend a TVET college and then do workplace learning before being able to take a trade test, which will certify you as a qualified artisan.

Trade tests can be done at a national trade test centre which is accredited by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations.

— This article first appeared in GCIS Vuk’uzenzele.

TEN years ago, scientists announced the discovery of the Higgs boson, which helps explain why elementary particles (the smallest building blocks of nature) have mass. For particle physicists, this was the end of a decades-long and hugely difficult journey – and arguably the most important result in the history of the field. But this end also marked the beginning of a new era of experimental physics.

In the past decade, measurements of the properties of the Higgs boson have confirmed the predictions of the standard model of particle physics (our best theory for particles).

But it has also raised questions about the limitations of this model, such as whether there’s a more fundamental theory of nature.

Physicist Peter Higgs predicted the Higgs boson in a series of papers between 1964 and 1966, as an inevitable consequence of the mechanism responsible for giving elementary particles mass. This theory suggests particle masses are a consequence of elementary particles interacting with a field, dubbed the Higgs field.

And according to the same model, such a field should also give rise to a Higgs particle – meaning if the Higgs boson wasn’t there, this would ultimately falsify the entire theory.

But it soon became clear that discovering this particle would be challenging. When three theoretical physicists calculated the properties of a Higgs boson, they concluded with an apology. “We apologize to experimentalists for having no idea what is the mass of the Higgs boson … and for not being sure of its couplings to other particles … For these reasons, we do not want to encourage big experimental searches for the Higgs boson.”

It took until 1989 for the first experiment with a serious chance of discovering the Higgs boson to begin its search. The idea was to smash particles together with such high energy that a Higgs particle could be created in a 27km long tunnel at Cern in Geneva, Switzerland – the largest electron-positron (a positron is almost identical to an electron but has opposite charge) collider ever built. It ran for 11 years, but its maximum energy turned out to be just 5% too low to produce the Higgs boson.

Meanwhile, the most ambitious American collider in history, the Tevatron, had started taking data at Fermilab, close to Chicago.

The Tevatron collided protons (which, along with neutrons, make up the atomic nucleus) and antiprotons (nearly identical to protons but with opposite charge) with an energy five times higher than what was achieved in Geneva – surely, enough to make the Higgs. But proton-antiproton collisions produce a lot of debris, making it much harder to extract the signal from the data. In 2011, the Tevatron ceased operations – the Higgs boson escaped detection again.

In 2010, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) began colliding protons with seven times more energy than the Tevatron. Finally, on July 4 2012, two independent experiments at Cern had each collected enough data to declare the discovery of the Higgs boson. In the following year, Higgs and his collaborator François Englert won the Nobel prize “for the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles”.

This almost sells it short. Without the Higgs boson, the whole theoretical framework describing particle physics at its smallest scales breaks apart. Elementary particles would be massless, there would be no atoms, no humans, no solar systems and no structure in the universe.

Trouble on the horizon
Yet the discovery has raised new, fundamental questions. Experiments at Cern have continued to probe the Higgs boson. Its properties not only determine the masses of elementary particles, but also how stable they are. As it stands, the results indicate that our universe isn’t in a perfectly stable state.

Instead, similar to ice at the melting point, the universe could suddenly undergo a rapid “phase transition”. But rather than going from a solid to a liquid, like ice transitioning to water, this would involve crucially changing the masses – and the laws of nature in the universe.

The fact that the universe nevertheless seems stable suggests something might be missing in the calculations – something we have not discovered yet.

After a three-year hiatus for maintenance and upgrades, collisions at the LHC are now about to resume at an unprecedented energy, nearly double that used to detect the Higgs boson. This could help find missing particles that move our universe away from the apparent knife-edge between being stable and rapidly undergoing a phase transition.

The experiment could help answer other questions, too. Could the unique properties of the Higgs boson make it a portal to discovering dark matter, the invisible substance making up most of the matter in the universe? Dark matter is not charged. And the Higgs boson has a unique way of interacting with uncharged matter.

The same unique properties have made physicists question whether the Higgs boson might not be a fundamental particle after all. Could there be a new, unknown force beyond the other forces of nature – gravity, electromagnetism and the weak and strong nuclear forces? Perhaps a force that binds so far unknown particles into a composite object we call the Higgs boson?

Such theories may help to address the controversial results of recent measurements which suggest some particles do not behave exactly the way the standard model suggests they should. So studying the Higgs boson is vital to working out whether there is physics to be discovered beyond the standard model.

Eventually, the LHC will run into the same problem as the Tevatron did. Proton collisions are messy and the energy of its collisions will only reach so far. Even though we have the full arsenal of modern particle physics – including sophisticated detectors, advanced detection methods and machine learning – at our disposal, there is a limit to what the LHC can achieve.

A future high-energy collider, specifically designed to produce Higgs bosons, would enable us to precisely measure its most important properties, including how the Higgs boson interacts with other Higgs bosons.

This in turn would determine how the Higgs boson interacts with its own field. Studying this interaction could therefore help us probe the underlying process which gives particles masses. Any disagreement between the theoretical prediction and a future measurement would be a crystal-clear sign that we need to invent brand new physics.

These measurements will have a profound impact that reaches far beyond collider physics, guiding or constraining our understanding of the origin of dark matter, the birth of our universe – and, perhaps, its ultimate fate.

THE CONVERSATION|

CLOSE to a quarter (22%) of the 165 059 teaching and managerial staff in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector do not have any formal training or qualification, underpinning the enormity of the sector’s challenges, the country’s first-ever census has shown.

It is not all doom and gloom, however, as the ECD 2021 Census conducted by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in partnership with the LEGO Foundation reveals that more than a quarter (26%) took part in an accredited skills programme, about four out of six (42%) obtained an NQF Level 4 or 5 education, and 10% had an NQF Level 6 or higher.

But the sector is desperate for expansion of ECD programmes, training of practitioners, and the need for better allocation of funds. Interviewed recently after the launch, Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga reckons the findings will inform future crucial actions of ECD in the country, responsibility for which is now under her watch following the switch from the Department of Social Development on April 1.

The first ECD census aimed to gather reliable data and information to move towards a centralised management information system to improve ECD centres’ resource allocation and oversight management across the country. It was released in May.

“While significant progress has been made in terms of providing better ECD programmes since 1994, the sector still faces challenges, including those related to infrastructure, quality of the programmes offered, practitioners’ qualifications and training, and institutional capacity and funding,” said Motshekga.

Field workers for the project visited every ward in the country to get information on Early Learning Programmes (ELPs) and gather basic information on them. Multiple strategies were employed to locate ELPs, and a variety of stakeholders from the ECD sector were enlisted to support the process.

In total, 42 420 ELPs were counted during the census. Gauteng had the highest number of ELPs (25%), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (19%), the Eastern Cape and Limpopo (both 13%).

“It will inform a lot given the enormity of the programme,” said Motshekga. “But it also is a relief that as much as there are 46 000 centres, it’s not too many kids when compared to a (schools) sector where we have 26 000 schools. But we’re servicing 16 million children. So, it also gives a sense of the spread and the balance between learners and practitioners. So, it’s very helpful in terms of planning, and any information that you need also for resourcing to say, here are the main issues,” Motshekga said.

Regarding teacher development at ECD centres, the minister said she expected or had assumed that more practitioners were not qualified to teach than the 22% identified in the census.

“So, I’m not surprised, but I think I’m pleasantly relieved that we don’t have too many educators in that space who are not qualified. In terms of the size of the sector, I knew it was big,” she said.

But the minister said while there are encouraging signs where the realities are better than prior estimates, through the census they were able to identify focused areas of improvement to inform the better allocation of resources to ensure the next generation receives the foundation they need to build a brighter and better future.

Motshekga said the census provided a sense of the spread and the balance between learners and practitioners. It’s also helpful in terms of planning and any information needed for resourcing, etc.

She said it was pleasing to learn that almost 77% of children at the centres are fed, ensuring that their nutritional needs are met. In laying a solid foundation, Motshekga warned that if it doesn’t go well, that’s where the development stops.

“If you have not done a proper preparation, it’s not going to thrive. That is why it is key to build a solid foundation for our children because the shape of your house depends on education. I have no doubt in my mind that we’re on the right track to get our children on the right path towards development as they grow up.”

The minister said ensuring that the foundation for a better ECD sector was just one of the most important steps taken as a country.

“I am very appreciative of the support from the NGOs in the space, experts in that space, but also, business partners who are helping us. It’s a new space that we’ve not yet gathered enough information, resources and skills, and therefore need lots of support from outside government to solidify this foundation.”

Although the great majority (94%) of ECD programmes charge fees, most (62%) of them also allow at least some children to attend the ECD programme without having to pay a fee. The average monthly fee charged by ECD programmes was R509. However, significant differences exist between provinces, with monthly fees in the Western Cape and Gauteng more than three times higher than fees in the Eastern Cape.

Differences in fee amounts were also clearly discernible between socio-economic quintiles. Parents of children attending quintile 5 programmes were paying significantly higher fees compared to the other primary caregivers. The average quintile 1 and 2 caregiver paid about half of the value of the child support grant at the time of the census.

The census found that ECD programmes subsidised by the Department of Social Development charge much lower fees (average of R208) than ECD programmes that were not subsidised (average of R649). The primary funding source for ECD programmes were fees (69%), followed by government subsidies (27%). The remaining 4% depended on donations, fund-raising and other sources of income.

The highest poverty rates for young children are in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. The census shows that while a large proportion of centres in these provinces were receiving DSD subsidy support, a higher proportion of ECD centres in the Free State also received DSD subsidies.

Elaborating on the importance of the work of the private sector partner LEGO in compiling the groundbreaking census, Motshekga said she was grateful to the business sector for playing an active role with funding and support.

The minister said the department also hosted a continental programme on learning through play.

“This is not the first time they’ve (LEGO) donated items on many occasions, including the bricks that we use to train in schools and the bricks we use for the computing and robotics programme. And what is nice about the relationship is that it is project-based specific, it’s targeted, and we will agree on what needs to be done. We work in collaboration as we agree on what should be the priority areas,” she said.

Kasper Ottoson Kanstrup, Head of Programmes at the LEGO Foundation, said the foundation has been involved in South Africa for more than a decade. “A number of the challenges we see in the census have been of a narrative. What probably was most surprising about the ECD space was the little time children have for free play. To me, that is a bit worrisome because children develop a hunger through free play, where they get collaboration skills that are developed socially or emotionally.”

But in both instances, the study found that about half (54% and 45%, respectively) of the ECD programmes allow less than 30 minutes for free play per day.

Nicholas Dowdall, Programme Specialist at the LEGO Foundation, said: “Overall, the impression left by the findings is that we need to do more, both in terms of changing mindsets of practitioners, but also in terms of providing ELPs with suitable materials for play and learning.”

Evidence shows that playful learning approaches in the early years improve academic performance and holistic development by unlocking essential skills that children can apply to more complex tasks throughout their lives. Play-based learning is a fundamental principle for the DBE and is embedded in the National Curriculum Framework for children from birth to four years.

Edwin Naidu is with tech-education start-up Higher Education Media Services.

INDEPENDENT school group Curro Holdings, in partnership with Acer for Education, has launched Curro’s own eSports gaming platform in South Africa.

Utilising help and expert guidance from Acer, Curro’s innovative new platform reassures parents with an extra layer of cyber security to ensure learners’ safety while playing online video game tournaments as part of the school group’s pioneering eSports programme.

Curro’s eSports programme has already registered more than 1,900 learners from across 38 of the group’s primary and 28 of the group’s high schools since its launch in 2020.

Until now, learners playing any of the tournaments, including Apex Legends and Minecraft Squad, as well as traditional eSports games like Rocket League, have not had a central space to view information. However, the new Acer platform allows teams to view their rankings but also makes it possible for coaches to manage players, coordinate tournaments and also allow communication between players as well as between players and coaches.

The tournaments are live-streamed via Twitch which means everyone gets to watch.

“We are amazed at how quickly our eSports programme has taken off. Our parents now understand that eSports is not just about playing video games as an extracurricular activity, but in fact, provides an entire world of opportunity for our learners, as an integrated part of our curriculum,” says Angela Schaerer, Digital Transformation Manager at Curro Holdings.

Schaerer says the new platform allows them to take their eSports offering to a whole new level of learning and upskill their learners and staff even more.

“For example, they can now shout cast (MC) games on the platform which is an extremely exciting opportunity, and we are already working closely with Acer to introduce a shout casting mentorship programme soon. We are planning to host our inter-Curro Cup tournament later this year, to determine the best eSport school in the group,” Schaerer says.

Recent research has identified numerous benefits to playing eSports and video games. These include improving the players’ ability to process and prioritise information, and enhancing their critical and creative thinking skills while quickening decision-making and reaction time without sacrificing accuracy.

Regular gaming also helps learners develop self-confidence and calmness, as well as acquire 21st-century skills like social awareness, collaboration, adaptability, persistence, and resourcefulness. These competencies could have ongoing future returns, helping learners secure valuable careers, especially in areas of math, science, and engineering.

Curro says it has been forging ahead with its eSports programme after witnessing the popularity of virtual sports during the Covid-19 lockdown when traditional sports were prohibited. Since then, the independent education provider has quickly fostered a name for itself in the global eSports community, having claimed victory in an International Minecraft match against a school in California in June 2021.

ITNEWS

Remember when former Morrison government minister Stuart Robert lashed out at “dud” teachers? In March, the then acting education minister said the “bottom 10%” of teachers “can’t read and write” and blamed them for declining academic results.

This is more than just a sensational headline or politician trying to get attention.
My research argues the way teachers are talked about in the media has a flow-on effect to how people feel about becoming a teacher, and how current teachers see their place in the community.

So, when we talk about the shortage of teachers in Australia, we also need to look at media coverage of teachers in Australia.

My new book examines how teachers have been represented in the print media for the past 25 years.
When you look at the harsh criticism and blame placed on teachers, it’s no wonder we are not attracting enough new people to the profession and struggling to retain the ones we have.

My research
In a world-first study, I explored how school teachers have been portrayed in Australian print media from 1996 to 2020. I looked at more than 65,000 media articles from all 12 national and capital city daily newspapers, including all articles that mentioned teacher and/or teachers three times or more.

With an average of 50 articles per week for 25 years, and a total word count of more than 43 million, my analysis is one of the largest of its kind.

While a lot has been written about teachers in the media over the years, this is the first study to systematically analyse such a large number of articles, representing such a complete collection of stories about teachers in newspapers, published over such a long time.

So what did I find? A lot. But here are three key findings that are critical when it comes to the way we think and talk about teachers and their work.

We are fixated on ‘teacher quality’
First, my research charts the rise and rise of attention to “teacher quality”, especially between 2006 and 2019. This period covers the start of the Rudd-Gillard “education revolution”, which reframed education in Australia as all about “quality”. It ends with the start of COVID, when reporting on teachers and education temporarily concentrated on home schooling.

My analysis found the focus on “quality” was far more on teachers than, say, teaching approaches, schools, schooling, education systems or anything else.

Made with Flourish
Why is this an issue? It puts the emphasis on the purported deficiencies of individual teachers rather than on collective capacity to improve teaching.

It detracts from system quality – the systemic problems within our education system. “Teacher quality” is a way for politicians to place the blame elsewhere when they should be committing to addressing the root cause of these problems: inadequate and inequitable funding, excessive teacher workload, unreasonable administrative loads, or teachers being required to work out of their field of expertise.

Teachers’ work is made out to be simple (it’s not)

The second key thing I found is media reporting on teachers consistently talks about their work as simple and commonsense, as though all decisions made by teachers are between two options: a right one and a wrong one.

The phrase “teachers should” appears about 2,300 times in my database. Examples include, “teachers should be paid according to how their students succeed”, “teachers should not adopt a cookie-cutter approach to learning”, “teachers should arrive in classes prepared” and “teachers should not be spending time organising sausage sizzles”.

Research conducted in the 1990s, and still widely referred to by scholars, found teachers make roughly 1,500 decisions in the course of every school day.

Recent research, including some I’m currently doing with colleagues, suggests teachers’ work has greatly intensified and accelerated over the past 30 years. So it’s likely 1,500 decisions per school day is now a very conservative estimate.

These decisions include everything from “what texts will we focus on in English next term?” to “should I ditch what I’d planned for this lesson so we can keep having this conversation because the students are absorbed by it?”.

It also includes social decisions, such as “do I intervene right now and potentially escalate what’s going on at the back of the classroom or just keep a close eye on it for now?”.

Every single one of those decisions is complex. And yet, in media coverage, claims of what “all teachers” or “every teacher” can, should or could do come thick and fast.

Teaching is relentlessly difficult, and while not everyone needs to understand that – in the same way not everyone needs to understand exactly how to conduct brain surgery – we do need to pay some respect to the 300,000 or so Australian teachers who navigate the profession every day. Just because the complexity may not have been evident to us in our 13 years as school students doesn’t mean it wasn’t there.

Teacher-bashing is the norm
Finally, I found stories about teachers were disproportionately negative in their representations. I did find “good news” stories in my research but they were outnumbered by articles that focused on how teachers, collectively and individually, don’t measure up.

This included the linking of “crises” to “poor quality” teachers. Take, for example, former education minister Christopher Pyne’s comment that:

[…] the number one issue, in terms of the outcomes for students, is teacher quality, in fact [the OECD] said eight out of ten reasons why a student does well in Australia or badly is the classroom to which they are allocated. In other words, the teacher to whom they are allocated.

In other words, “teacher-bashing” is the norm when it comes to stories about teachers in the Australian news media.

The PR around teaching needs to change
As we consider what to do to improve teacher numbers in Australia, we need to think about the way we talk about teaching and teachers in the media.

If all people hear is that teachers are to “blame” for poor standards and they should be finding their demanding, complex jobs easy, this is hardly likely to encourage people into the profession. Nor does it give those already there the support and respect they need to stay.

THE CONVERSATION