Teaching is a noble profession that requires dedication and commitment. In the past few years, however, we have seen an increased number of educators up and leave the career and move to other things. It is curious as to why these teachers are walking away from a job they vow to love.
Surviving in a career takes more than just passion and commitment; some factors deem a professional palatable or not. When it comes to teaching, one looks at the relationship they have with all the stakeholders; these are parents, administrators and students. If any of those relationships are unbearable, it is difficult to stay in the career.
Factors Contributing to the Mass Exit
Teachers are one of the essential professionals in a nation; they are in charge of shaping the minds that will lead the country. It is unfortunate that even with their unquestionable worth, they do not receive incentives and recognition they
deserve. Some of the teachers’ concerns are;
1. Poor pay and working conditions – teaching comes with very many sub-careers and educators embrace each of them willingly. The issue teachers have with the poor working conditions they have to execute their roles in is the fact that their mental and emotional health is compromised.
2. The pressure to perform – with the increased exit of teachers, the number of students in classrooms is becoming excessively unbearable. All students have their own needs and require special attention, which is not possible. At the same time, without regard to the worsening situation, there is constant pressure for students to perform and the responsibility to prepare learners falls on the teacher.
3. Increased workload – teachers are not pleased with the increase in administrative documents that they have to fill, which takes away from their time with students. On top of all the duties, educators have required forms and reports that need to be submitted. Teachers have to go through books, prepare progress reports, attend camps and trips, and many other activities considered to be part of their job description.
4. Parental interference – the support system that teachers got from parents is no longer available. Educators are concerned about the increased aggression from parents and how it is affecting the delivery of content. When a student is caught on the wrong, parents are quick to reprimand teachers.
The system of education is in dire need of attention and reforms because without drastic change; teachers will keep leaving. This will then lead to a crisis in schools which will, in turn, affect the performance of learners.
Also, most teachers are finding it difficult to give instructions and educate when they are continually being told how to do their work. This is the main course of loss of enthusiasm amongst the educators.
