Why are educators in Maltese state schools demoralised?

Blog post by an educator.

It is a known fact that there is a shortage of educators in Malta. One might wonder why. If one talks to those who were in the profession but left or resigned, the answer is very simple. Most of those who left before the pension age, will tell you that the profession is not held in high self-esteem. Moreover, they will add that they have not been supported enough by their superiors, when tackling behaviour issues. Another reason that most probably will be given is that there is lack of support and empathy for their mental health and well-being.

It is a fact that in Malta, there is awareness about mental health and well-being! This is a worldwide phenomenon. It is for this reason why I am asking why there is not enough support for educators who are suffering from burn-out? Are they being helped enough and supported so that they remain in the teaching profession?

So, dear minister, how about starting a campaign to entice people to become teachers? How about a charm-offensive so that the hatred that some parents spew against educators might lessen? It is no wonder that teachers are demoralised. Educators often find themselves in a situation where they cannot correct students. Otherwise, their parents will immediately come to the school to defend their children. In some cases, teachers will end up reported to the ministry of education if not the Minister himself/herself. In the eyes of some of the parents, their offspring can do nothing wrong.

But there is more to this than a quest for discipline. There is also an issue of National Strategy. How about going back to the drawing board and see whether the college system is really working or not? This should not be done according to what the policy makers think is best but by garnering feedback from those who work in our schools, from all sectors. Some colleges are in a worse state than others, as their student intake is from localities which have social and economic problems.

Are all the students from these localities getting the educational entitlement that they deserve? And how about those who happen to teach in such a college? Besides poverty, and a plethora of social problems, there is the problem of challenging behaviour. These educators are rightly demoralised as they cannot do what they should be doing –  that is teaching. If a teacher’s time is taken up by trying to control the behaviour of the students, little quality teaching is done. And this is to the detriment of the teacher’s self-esteem and also to the entitlement of those students who are eager to study and work.