Recognizing excellence in education

Mathieu Bernière

Thursday, 1 march, 2018 09:00

UPDATE
Thursday, 1 march, 2018 09:00

Look at this article

I think this advice from Abraham Lincoln : “Don’t worry about not being recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition”*.

It inspires both pride and humility. It is well suited, I think, to the teachers, which appear to be terminated to play their role without waiting for any other gratitude, than of those rare students who come back to see them after some time.

While
the government wishes to reward the most deserving of them, may be that some of his colleagues finally see that in this Order of excellence in education the recognition they feel entitled to expect from their employer.

For my part, it seems clear to me that if he was truly concerned about my level of excellence, would endeavour to provide me with the necessary conditions for the full realization of my potential, and this as long as possible. From the experience that I earn, am I not more difficult to replace ?

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Yet, what one hears, reads and sees the reality of a teacher a little everywhere in Quebec, since a few years, don’t let guess the sound management of its human resources or, as is sometimes said, a human management of its resources.

Nothing could better illustrate, moreover, that
the current shortage of teachers, exacerbated by the dropping out of young profs and the abandonment of the oldest. All the note today – the minister, obviously : our role is more and more difficult to play.

The items that it boasts to add will not resolve the bleeding that occurs at the same time : nothing is done to keep the staff. The working conditions have deteriorated in recent years and the government is well-kept to be empathic, in the recent negotiations.

As a result
this famous story of the JdM, many commentators were quick to cast the blame on the parents for the bad upbringing of their children, denouncing the lack of respect that these could have now the authority of the teacher and of the school institution.

In my opinion however, the most serious lack of respect towards teachers is found without any doubt in the irresponsibility, apathy, and condescension of the government, which, although it has been claimed, has done nothing to improve the image of the public network in the last fifteen years**.

On the contrary.

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The excellence of the vast majority of teachers in the public system, then, lies primarily in their resiliency and their perseverance, to attempt bearing his dramatic dismantling. This, no government would dare to acknowledge, even less to assign a medal.

But those who in this effort have committed the ultimate sacrifice deserve no less, and the honors posthumously.

I greet them, excited.

Having to make a cross on the most beautiful profession in the world, that we chose, that we love because of working conditions derogatory, it’s disgusting.

And the excellence of a few great teachers will only compensate never the wasted energy of a great majority of their colleagues crushed by a system that dehumanized.

In short, a little to the image of his colleague of Health, the minister of Education refuses to see the reality of first lines. It remains attentive to the needs of a certain elite, blame their silence on those he has never wanted to listen to, and accuses him of inaction on those who preach another direction, as if only hers was valid.

The fact is that it will certainly not fail to candidates who are interested to receive these honours, just as there is no shortage of teachers to blame those who complain of being responsible for their own misfortunes. To be cynical and closed. Not to dare, not to be quite innovative.

The defects of the system are individualized. The condescension is not on solidarity, and the government, yet decision-making is déresponsabilisé.

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However, the real scandal is there : do not allow each teacher to be at the height of its potential. Too many of them are compelled by the emergency, almost daily, of their task to be able to think as they would like in their pedagogy, their students. They want to improve, go to the end of their questions, but do not control that rarely their time and resources. Those who do not choose their pupils too often have to choose their battles – especially at the beginning.

If all teachers could actually focus on their real job, and really take the time to imagine their projects, develop their lessons, sit down with their students, pedagogical innovation, would be less the prerogative of a privileged few, more or less aware of the benefits of their school environment.

If it was more a question of the excellence of the school system, measured according to its ability to reduce social inequalities through a high quality training offered free of charge to all, my colleagues would exercise their craft at the height of their own ethical requirements in view of the role and of the students entrusted to them.

That is why the minister can’t we make the lesson of excellence. He does not know our art***. It only recognizes the ostentatious.

If we are worthy of recognition, demand-here as we will give all of us the desire to continue to proudly do our part. It is a posture that we must have.

Because the reward of one will not justify the sacrifices of others.

* ” Don’t worry when you are not recognized, goal-strive to be worthy of recognition.”

** Look back on the cuts in services to students, the requirement of numerical results, the changes of results, for the purchase of books for the trunk libraries, the overcrowding schoolgirl, the merging of school boards, the buildings decrepit, to the changes imposed precipitously in the school curriculum, to the double skimming, newsletters, non-encrypted, the less encrypted, re-encrypted, the consequences of the intensive English…

*** The teachers are holders of a bachelor of art.