THE WAY THINGS ARE

Would a primary or other headteacher in Cyprus kill him-/herself if their school was given a one-word, inadequate, label? That tragic result happened in the UK where Ofsted assesses schools’ meritocracy, grading performance with a single word. There are detailed reports as well, but that one word holds significance to parents of children in a school and potential enrollers, a blight on its reputation or favourable praise.

And as is often the case, something terrible has to happen to shake the lethargy of inaction on out-of-date methods. A former UK teacher told me, ‘There is unfairness when you think that not all teachers are failures or don’t care. A lot depends on the area they work in, socially deprived kids, backgrounds or home lives that affect performance, and old buildings that are inadequate for modern teaching.’

Any conscientious teacher writing end-of-school-year reports knows one word would never suffice to cover a child’s performance, as each one requires individual, fair assessment of overall capacity. Adjustments have been made by Ofsted, but only after a death prompted change. 

Teachers in Ireland and the UK speak of burnout, overburdened by new initiatives on top of heavy workloads, not enough new teachers drawn to training, and a fair percentage walking away from the stress. It isn’t always the teachers’ fault. The past with passive groups sitting quietly, respectfully in class is mostly gone, and disrupters can create havoc among well-behaved children.  

Governments know the world is changing rapidly, and money spent incentivising good teachers who do not object to being tested for merit, who can give students a strategic employment advantage linked to subject priority of their future with pertinent, selected lesson choice, replacing static curriculums taught to their grandparents, is an investment.

The old will outnumber the young before long. Future economic stability depends on a highly capable, internationally competitive workforce, as AI replacing humans appears unavoidable and jobs will be lost.

Ofsted’s approach may be imperfect but it exists to keep schools aware of the importance of good results. Any official body or authority policing itself is open to doubt and questions. So much begins with education, in the home, at school. The young need to be taught to seek a variety of opinion, to enjoy balanced debate, to respectfully question in class something they disagree with, and to receive an honest answer from an unbiased educator, not a personal diatribe. To think independently, not to accept without questioning.

Schools’ day trips are valuable, especially if combined with active environmental awareness learning, not mere outings. Dethatching kids from their phones on such trips can create an understanding of the necessity of conservation for their own future good. Much of their world may be lived on-screen, but the reality of a forest’s contribution to life, or the pleasing tranquility the sea offers on a quiet day are natural islands of calm they may need to fall back on in times of possible work/life stress waiting ahead.

School trips abroad can be of immense value for the young, experiencing other European countries, different cultures, different languages, making comparisons with home. One group of Cypriot lyceum youngsters performed a sirtaki to happy enthusiasm in an Italian square.

Governments do themselves no favours by failing the educational needs of their young, tomorrow’s generation on which future success or failure of an economy leans. Give them every advantage especially devoted, capable teachers.

How many famous people have said: ‘I owe so much to a teacher who inspired me, helped me realise my own potential.’ The job of a teacher is to give their very best to the children they teach. A British woman cared enough to kill herself for her perceived failure. Some won’t make a real effort if no one checks on performance. There are always difficult students, it goes with the territory, but a bad worker should not blame their tools if their skills are not up to scratch.