Dear Editor,
I would like to respond in short to the ‘parent’ that wrote in response to the letter by the teacher in your letter column.
First, many teachers are parents too and have to teach students, provide all that parents are obligated to provide, plus provide for the family whilst paying loans and other expenses. The ‘parent’ didn’t mention that teachers teach other students all day and still have to teach their own children. Secondly, the ‘parent’ spoke about teachers sending videos for the students to learn on the online platform. Videos are a part of the teachers’ approach to deliver. The student has the luxury to view the videos over and over again, for both students and parents to grasp concepts. Many of those same videos are being created by curriculum experts just like us teachers. So the fact that the ‘parent’ is complaining about the video is sending a message that this parent wants the teacher to teach as in a normal classroom setting because they are getting paid (the ‘parent’ mentioned “yes they are getting paid”).
Thirdly, I should say the ‘parent’ is very ignorant of what is happening in the education system. The parent believes teachers are sitting at home and getting paid. For the parent’s information I should say that all teachers have to complete all the records that he or she used to do when school was physically in session, plus additional records which the pandemic brought out. Fourthly, I should also let the parent know that the teachers didn’t choose to be home. The teacher is home trying to engage your child/children because of the deadly pandemic. The parent should remember that our children are the future for tomorrow and if we expose them to the virus by physically reopening schools, our future for tomorrow will be no more. So parent, all is not lost having your child at home, your child can still get an education when the pandemic is controlled. Your child will be alive, because the pandemic is life and death if they’re exposed.
I should also let the parent know that we learn every day and no one is too big to learn, even parents are learning new things every day. So your child will be face-to-face in school one day, and yes, the teachers will have to go back physically once this situation is curbed. Finally, I deem the parent to be biased in her letter and should have gathered information on what teachers have to do during the pandemic. The letter shows that this parent doesn’t know how teachers cry within everyday knowing that they cannot be engaged through the online platforms because they don’t have internet, devices etc.
Sincerely,
(Name and address supplied)
