By FREDRICK JEJERI
A HEAD teacher of one of the most remote schools in Morobe Province has shared his experiences on how teachers endure challenges in delivering education services in the least developed areas.
Mr Daniel Terencehill, who has been teaching in the Morobe Local Level Government (LLG) in Huon Gulf District for over seven years, faces the struggles of walking long distances to access services to run the school.
Traditionally, attracting and retaining teachers and other professionals to teach at schools located in rural areas has been difficult.
As a head teacher, Terencehill serves the people of Mubo-Iwal with his heart and not for the sake of money and title.
Mr. Terencehill stated that his aim was to make necessary recommendations on how the challenges can be dealt with so that teachers continue to teach at rural schools.
He highlighted that the struggle to cope with the absence of basic teaching resources, being overloaded with teaching and administrative duties, under-funding to schools, and poor teacher salaries were some of the challenges faced.
Mr. Terencehill further said that most teachers were not competent in improvising instructional and teaching materials in the absence of sufficient resources, which has rendered teaching ineffective.
He said rural school teachers felt isolated, as financial, recreational, and health service centers were not easily accessible, which caused low teacher morale and minimized teaching effectiveness.
“It was established that most teachers at rural schools were not well paid compared to their counterparts in other professions with comparable levels of education, experience, and input towards their work. These disparities demoralized teachers and negatively shaped their teaching output.”
Mr. Terencehill is therefore urging education authorities to implement necessary measures to minimize the detrimental effects of these challenges of teaching at rural schools.
He is also appealing to school inspectors, managers, and coordinators at the district and province to examine these challenges and make recommendations on finding better measures.
“It is essential to address the challenges faced by teachers in rural areas to ensure quality education delivery. Teachers need support, adequate resources, and better pay to keep them motivated and effective in their teaching.
“It is crucial that education authorities take the necessary steps to address these issues to improve teaching quality and overall school performance.”
