BY KHALED ALMAEENA The Ministry of Education has warned teachers of immediate termination if it is discovered that they are drug users or have had a previous drug offense. Dr. Hamad Aal Al-Sheikh, the Deputy Minister of Education, stated that the rules do not permit teachers who use drugs to have contacts with students. He added that we have to take preventive measures to stop this menace in society. He said an awareness program is scheduled that will help disseminate the message of the scourge of drug addiction. I am happy to note that the ministry is taking such measures to safeguard our young. Earlier I read a report that teachers affected with physical and mental problems will be phased out of the education ministry. These may be good measures. However, the trick is to find, attract, train and retain young teachers. This is not happening. With the Saudization program, schools and other educational institutions had expatriate teachers replaced by Saudis many of whom did not possess the necessary skills to impart education. Modern methods of teaching, including the use of multimedia, cross cultural training, etc., never figured in their teaching methods. And they can't be blamed. For they were there by necessity and not by choice. They had to earn a living and so with glum faces they would go to their work at school and thus the students would not get the best from these teachers, if they had any to give. It is therefore imperative that there be teacher training colleges across the Kingdom to enhance the quality of present and future teachers. It is equally important to have more women enter the teaching workforce as it is easier for them to deal with youngsters. In fairness the present Minister of Education Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah has been trying to introduce new methods and include programs to enhance the level of teaching. But this alone will not help. We must have young, dedicated, modern-minded teachers who have a passion for their profession and who also are compensated well and given due recognition by the ministry, parents and society as a whole. Therefore as a start, weed out those who are incompetent. Secondly, stress the importance of the teaching profession in our society and lastly, offer the correct compensation to them so that they will not run from pillar to post to make both ends meet. Teachers have an impact on their students individually. I remember my Arabic language teacher, an Egyptian Mr. Ezzat Al-Sherbini, his teaching methods and advice on many matters. I also remember my maths teacher, a Goanese gentleman Mr. D'Souza who in addition to teaching us algebra and theorems taught me character building, and his famous dictum “Command respect do not demand it” has become my favorite piece of advice to the young. They were teachers of calibre, of the old generation not privy to new technology, but they had a sense of nobility and mission. They are long dead and gone, but are remembered still. And if present day teachers want to leave an indelible mark on their students, they too should teach with the same zeal and fervor as those teachers of yesteryears. — The author can be reached at [email protected] __
