Essay on ECD Staff: Underrecruited and Underpaid

One common issue that is facing the ECD educational system is the low number of teachers, an issue mostly effected by the low financial resources in the schooling facilities (Baker, 2017). Recruiting more teachers for public service seems so easy, but then implementing strategies that target empowering the ECD institutions, heavily requires appreciating what the teachers usually do effectively. Celebrating the teachers is considered as one of the most valued and respected form of remuneration. The ECD teachers are the most underpaid and rarely recruited in most public institutions. The treatment of the ECD teachers has ostensibly resulted in the rapidly reducing number students taking the ECD course at the higher educational institutions.

The ECD teachers are people who deserve the best that an educational facility can provide (Larry, 2002). The Bord of most public schools often blame the government for a failed salary increment as well as the failed implementation of welfare of teachers effectively. The government has however cited technical and financial issues that has hit the economy – very ironic and skeptically typical. The benefits of rewarding teachers in the ECD level, which may start with a simple motivational construct, is very crucial towards enhancing the becoming better people that a team of staff cannot do without. The school board should therefore focus on recruiting the teachers even at a specific school budge and an additional form of appreciation.

The early child education stakeholders, both in the government and at the community level, should work on the increasing the educators efficiently (Baker, 2017). There is a potentially dire need shortage of early child educators – an issue currently not taken seriously by the government. The Children in these institutions – the public ECD centers experience a very acute shortage of teachers in the facilities. The government has often cited the high cost of acquiring teachers as well as the high cost of keeping the teachers in full time employment basis. The issue has led to part time teaching programs – a context that should never be tolerated in Early Child education. The part time teaching model makes the children see new teachers after every holiday when schools reopen.

Apparently, exposing the child to many teachers, each with a different teaching style has a very detrimental impact on the child’s educational progress (Henry & Namhla, 2020). The child is psychologically made unstable in terms of the understanding and lesson adaption mechanisms. The case can be metaphorically compared to changing parents at home every time (Larry, 2002). The child will end up following no instruction. Similarly changing teachers every now and then makes the children lose focus on which teaching style to follow. All these take place in public schools where there is an acute shortage of ECD teachers. This problem has dominated public schools owing to the fact that they do present a cheaper alternative as compared to the private institutions.

Solution to this problem is simple. Employ more teachers and engage them productively. Reward excellence and assign best models of care for the teachers as much as possible. The next concept is paying the teachers well and in time. There is also social encouragement of upcoming students from higher levels of learning, who will adopt the course and work hard, considering the salaries and rewards that such facilities will be providing.

References

Baker, M. (2017). Early childhood teachers at the center: A qualitative case study of professional development in an urban district. Early Childhood Education Journal, 46(2), 231-240.

Gonadi, L. (2017). The development of early childhood E-port in the implementation of authentic assessment in early childhood institutions. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference for Science Educators and Teachers (ICSET 2017).

Henry, C., & Namhla, S. (2020). Continuous professional development for inclusive ECD teachers in Chiredzi Zimbabwe: Challenges and opportunities. Scientific African, 8, e00270.

Lavy, V. (2002). Paying for performance: The effect of teachers’ financial incentives on students’ scholastic outcomes. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.329820