Dear Editor,
The staff room at Annandale Secondary School cannot accommodate teachers comfortably and this situation has remained unchanged for years although the school is regularly visited by education officials familiar with the issue. Annandale Secondary School is an A Grade school with a student enrolment of close to 700 and a staff of over 60. Due to the lack of space in the staff room, some teachers begun using vacant classrooms as staff rooms and even these are filled. However, other teachers were placed in the library and the numbers have grown because new teachers were placed there also.
Recently, we were informed that we must remove ourselves from the library as instructed by the DEO. Again, finding space to place one’s chair and table on the job became a problem. A room that housed PE equipment was identified and allotted to just about half of the ‘library teachers’. These teachers, some of whom are temporary staff, were given preference to move into the room and this created feelings of discontent, but the real issue is why should teachers be made uncomfortable and forced to ‘fight’ for space and furniture (a desk and chair) on the job like little children? It is an utterly ridiculous situation to have an employee on site and not have space for that employee. Editor, the rest of the ‘library teachers’ have been told to move into the main staff room, which is overcrowded, and with little free space to place new furniture.
Although a few tables are vacant due to the teachers being on leave, when these teachers return the occupiers would be forced to find other ‘spots’ like outcasts. Why should teachers feel unwelcomed and unwanted? And this situation would persist because almost every term new teachers are sent to the school yet some departments are understaffed. Apart from the lack of space, there is never enough furniture for teachers’, especially new arrivals, and one has to mark one’s chair to safeguard against ‘unauthorised borrowing’. This is the state of the school although billions are being pumped into the education system on a yearly basis.
I wonder if those education bigwigs in their air-conditioned offices even enquire whether the schools have a table and chair for the Miss or Sir that they send? Editor, another huge problem is the inability of administrators in the school system and education departments to act and make sound decisions when needed. I don’t know if every little thing requires the permission of the minister or CEO. While a new building with classrooms was constructed to cater for the growing student population, and they have a new laboratory, no effort was made to address the needs of an expanding staff.
However, if the staff room cannot be expanded or a new room built it is still possible to comfortably accommodate all members of staff by repurposing unused sections of the school and this would require little to no money but courage to act! In the school compound there are three small buildings that contain some rooms that are hardly used, the first is the old laboratory block, the second is the Home-Economics block with maybe a room out of the 4 or 5 there that can be spared and lastly, the ‘Technical Drawing block’ that contains a number of rooms. It is really unconscionable to have teachers feeling unwelcomed on the job by not adequately accommodating them.
Also, in a situation where there is limited space for staff, some teachers should not be ‘given’ entire rooms to hold classes if teaching can be done in the classroom effectively. Editor, although this matter seems trivial and easily solved, apparently to make the simplest changes/decisions in schools require excessive bureaucracy. The affected teachers should at least be comfortable at their place of work and this is easily achievable but it requires the necessary input from the relevant education official(s) who would hopefully address this matter.
Sincerely,
(Name and Address Provided)
