Teacher Shortage: SKN Primary Schools Need A Few Good Men

Published: Sunday 27th August, 2018

By: Contributing Editor 

“Support from a male figure contributes to confidence levels in boys” – As a new school term commences, the Federation is yet again facing a dilemma at the Primary Level.

Pundits have penned that Male teachers bring a different dynamic to the classroom and as with any workplace”, therefore it’s not healthy for one gender to completely dominate an industry.

The Ministry of Education continues to drop the ball with regards to attracting male teachers into the teaching fraternity especially at a time when most of our youths need mentoring and guidance from an early age. 

Based on the statistics from 2015-2016, there were 29 male teachers in the system staffed at the primary level which represented 15% of all males in the system. Consider for a moment that there are 34 primary schools in the Federation with an average staff of approximately 35 teachers per school.

Approximately 6/24, (25%) of the principals on St. Kitts are Males while Nevis has no Male Principal. All Nevisian primary schools are headed by Women. 

If the Ministry is serious about gender balance, a special effort ought to be made to entice more males into the system. 

Enhanced work benefits and better pay packages ought to be offered to teachers on a whole and other incentives be added as a way going forward or else some of our youngsters are going to continue to fall by the wayside due to the lack of mentoring which would help to address so many of the shortcomings they may be faced with. 

The ultimate goal of our educators should be to develop diverse teaching staffs with a mix of genders to give our students knowledge, lessons and skills — beyond the textbooks they would need to succeed in life. 

More male teachers can help make a positive step to having ender balance and accomplish this goal.

“Our schools, our children and our nation is in need of a few Good men in our Teaching Fraternity.”