Draft teachers law threatens $10,000 fine, five years jail

Teachers are speaking out against a draft Education Bill that could see them fined up to $10,000 and jailed for up to five years for teaching without a proper qualification.

They say that the Bill does not reflect the reality of the educational workforce, and unfairly seeks to punish teachers for a lack of qualifications.

The draft Bill was discussed during a gathering of teachers in Upolu who gathered at EFKS Youth Hall, Mulinu’u on Saturday. More than 300 teachers attended.

“I do not support the bill, and I have a lot of reasons to give as to why I do not support it,” said Loimata Te’o, a 50 year old teacher at Faleula Primary School, who is been teaching for over twenty years.

“First of all, a big question has come up, why are they doing this?

What is the real reason behind this bill?

“Being a teacher is different from all the other works, because teachers have to multi task in what they do, they have to teach the students on the spiritual side, discipline them and help them to study hard so they can get a better future.

“That is why many say, teachers are professors which is true.

“I say it’s true because that is what I do, and those are the things that I teach to my students starting from the bottom all the way up to their spiritual side.” Secondly, she said, the bill also says that, even if the teacher has a Bachelor's degree but no teaching qualification they must go back to school.

“A teacher has a God given Bachelor which is experience and the knowledge, that Bachelor no one can ever take that away from the teacher because it’s a gift from God,” she said.

“So it doesn’t matter whether a teacher has a diploma or Bachelor as long, as they have the bachelor of experience from God all the teachers can work together and nobody that comes from overseas with their degrees and bachelor can take on the teachers who have good experience, in anything.”

The draft bill provides for “non-citizens” to teach temporarily in Samoa.

“Even if they say that, students don’t know anything, the teacher who has a lot of experience can teach them and they can be very smart, but if they bring teachers from overseas that have degree or bachelor to teach the children and they don’t learn anything, then you are nothing.”

Thirdly, she asked, does this bill help decrease the number of prisoners in jail or is it going to put all the teachers in jail? “Another thing is, will this bill help to get more teachers or is it going to make all the teachers resign because they don’t want to teach?

“These are the things that the Ministry has to look at before they finalise this Bill, because a lot of the teachers who have been teaching for so long will be affected by this new bill. The bill does provide for a two year transition period and “temporary” registration of existing teachers. Ms. Teo said that two years is not long enough for all teachers to attain the new standards.

“They need teachers and if this bill passes then a lot of teachers will not be able to teach anymore. Ms. Teo said the bill should only apply to new teachers who have just graduated from university, because they have less skills and little experience on the job.

“Last but not the least, for example I’m 50 years old and I have been teaching for more than twenty years.

“If this bill goes through and I go back to school to meet the standards of the Ministry that will take five years for me to study again, so by the time I graduate it’s no use for me to teach because I have to retire.”

Another teacher of Avele College who did not want to be named shared similar thoughts.

“This new Bill will affect all of us, she said.

“For example myself, I have a Bachelor in Education but I don’t have a teaching qualification, so I have to go back to school to get it.

“So why did they accept us in the first place if this is the case?”

She acknowledged that if teachers do go back to university study the Ministry of Education sponsors them. However, she said, they have to pay the enrolment fee themselves and then it will be reimbursed after two years.

“It’s not fair, they said that there aren’t enough teachers and yet they are telling us to go back to school. “So the question is who will teach the children?

“So I do not support this new Bill.”

Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture, Matafeo Falana’ipupu Tanielu said the preview of the Teachers Bill was very important.

“The Bill that the teachers are discussing is to prioritise the importance of teachers work as teaching being that of a professional,” he said.

“For example being a doctor, they have their own council, engineers have their own association, accountants have theirs too.

“The focus of the new Bill is for the teachers, to see if the teachers have been registered.

“If they are then we will check whether they have all the professional standards and teaching experience.” Teachers have to have a good attitude and be committed, he said, that is why it is important to setup this new bill.

“Because to me, it’s injustice for the teachers to be in the system but we are not sure whether they have all the professional standards, so it’s injustice to the children. “So this council is to register all our teachers we will make sure that all the teachers have professional standards.

The draf t bill sets out the establishment of a Teachers Council and a Teacher’s Tribunal. Functions of the Council are to represent their interests, develop policy, approve professional standards, determine ongoing development, deal with registration and discipline, and promote the teaching profession.

The council is also set the task of reviewing the proposed Act in a report to the minister.

A separate three member Teachers Tribunal, made up of a lawyer, a retired teacher and a community representative, will handle complaints. If passed, the bill would provide for complaints from students, teachers, principals, the Teacher’s Council, or the Registrar of teachers. Handling of complaints under the tribunal includes assessing whether further investigation is required, or dismissing a complaint if it is “baseless”, referring matters to police, and deciding on alleged breaches of contract. Matafeo said that the bill aims to achieve better standards.

“The first professional standard is the delivery, the teachers should know how to teach the student, they should have certificate in Bachelor of Education from whatever university they attended, so it’s all towards for the betterment of the students.

“This new Bill also covers Mission Schools, Private schools and private teachers, as we all know that teachers move around as well. “Another advantage of the new Bill, if our teachers are registered they can go to New Zealand and also Australia and be able to teach there.

“Even with the doctors they take their registration overseas and they can just get a license there, this should have been done with the teachers a long time ago.

“This is rather than going overseas and working at a petrol station or picking fruits because to be honest that’s an insult to the profession. Matafeo said that the draft bill will be delivered to all school principals for discussion with teachers and school committees.

“So everyone is going to be involved, even the parents can give comments.”

“All government ministries will have consultations because this bill is everyone’s business, because the centre of this bill is the students, and we should’ve done long time ago because this is what New Zealand and Australia is doing for the betterment of the children. Without the bill, he questioned whether any difference would be made between teaching of past years and the future.

“To me, I know there is a big difference, and we can tell by the results of the students, because if the results are good then that tells us that everything is going well.

“However with so many changes to do, it doesn’t mean that once we do it will be perfect, no it will take up to ten to fifteen years just like overseas countries, then we will know the impact of these change, but as for me, we should never fear change.

“We should always have the courage to implement changes then we will know whether it’s good or bad,” he said.

“There’s a saying, “It is always better to try and fail rather than not trying at all, then we will spend our whole lives saying, “If only, if only.”

“I don’t take that, I would rather see someone trying to cope with the changes, and if we go through with the new changes and it works then we carry on with it, but if it does not work then we can always go back.”

Teaching needs to adapt to modern life, he said. “Look at nowadays, if the child does not know how to use technology he/she will struggle when they go overseas, because they should look ahead.

“My goal as a C.E.O., I want all the children of this country to have a good future.

“I don’t want just the children in town, not just the children with money, not just the children whose parents are professionals, what about the Savaii children and the children who are from the rural areas?

“My heart really goes out to those children, so I want 100 percent of the children to be smart not 99 percent but 100 percent, because we are not going to be here forever.

“When we pass on, we leave a legacy and that is for our children to have good education and a good future.

“More than 300 teachers are here today and this is a really good turnout, these teachers included mission teachers and private teachers. Teachers who missed the consultation can ask for the bill to be sent to them, he said.

“That’s my style and because this is everyone’s business.

“I am also thinking of putting it on Facebook because it’s very effective and it will also give the chance to the children and to everyone to comment on this Bill and besides everyone has a Facebook page. Next stage for the draft bill would be to incorporate feedback from teachers.

“After the pre-discussion the Attorney General will do a final draft and then take it to the Cabinet to endorse it, and then to the Parliament for the final say.

“It will go through the same process just like any other bill.” Teachers in Savai’i will get their say on the draft bill this week.