By Reuben Maleka
With 2020 being an unprecedented and difficult year, we pay special tribute to the country’s dedicated educators as the world commemorated International Teacher’s Day last week.
Teachers are a vital resource in grooming leaners to be able to contribute to society. The Covid-19 pandemic made it a challenging year for teachers to ensure that learners continue with their education during lockdown and school closures. Safety precautions and socio-economic factor added to the stress. Despite the challenges and disregarding their own safety, teachers worked extra hard to ensure learners were not left behind.
Being a teacher in South Africa comes with its own challenges. Apart from inadequate remuneration, the meagre salary increases due to them and other public servants in April failed to materialise. Too many teachers have fallen victim to physical and verbal attacks, as well as allegations of faking co-morbidities, while the employer has failed to ensure the health and safety of many teachers and learners.
We, as an extension of the public service community, cannot thank our teachers enough for their dedication. The odds are stacked against providing quality education, yet teachers persevere. Teachers provide us with proof that, in the absence of proper infrastructure and against the odds, a well-directed mind and attitude can deliver better results under a tree than in the best-equipped classroom.
We applaud them for not giving up. We pay tribute to all teachers who lost their lives to Covid-19. They will not be forgotten.
Reuben Maleka is from the Public Servants Association.
The Star