Reports reaching forGambia say teachers in the country sometimes take not only long-distance trips from up country to Banjul, but also months or up to a year’s push and pull to get their teaching status upgraded in respect of a milestone of newly completed university or college education. The change in status due to a newly acquired qualification means an upgraded salary level, and possibly benefits, if available. But the Barrow administration would rather waste our money on endless UN and other bogus trips with perks and dizzying heights of per diems from the coffers of such an impoverished country.

 “It took me five months of constant travel for my status to be upgraded,” lamented Teacher X, a rural teacher in the country’s Central River Region. This is the story of many newly Graduate Teachers from the University of the Gambia. For any meaningful development to be registered in the industry of knowledge, the comfort and happiness of the most important stakeholder, the teachers, must be upheld. The stories of most of the teachers don’t leave much to be desired,” Teacher X continued.

   Teacher X, a provincial teacher in The Gambia shared his struggles of getting his status upgraded to a graduate level after completion of university studies. According to the industrious educator with ten years of teaching experience, “It took me five months of constant travel to the Ministry to get my status upgraded from certificate level to a graduate teacher.” This is subsequent to his/her graduation. “These are changes that should be automatic after the submission of all the required credentials,” the teacher lamented.

Teacher X is not alone in this struggle. Another teacher we would refer to as Teacher Y remonstrates, ” I submitted all my documents to the Ministry for changes on my status after some months. I was there for a follow-up but to my utter dismay, my documents were nowhere to be found.” It has been every end of month journey from Basse to Banjul.”

This teacher doesn’t dare the long journey mid-month “because the pocket is drained, a condition worsened by under-payment.” After the completion of studies, Teacher Y wrote and notified the ministry [of education], who posted him. S/he reported with the hope that after one month, s/he will be paid as a graduate teacher. Unfortunately, it has been almost a whole academic year of toiling for something that someone is paid to do.”

        “This is the same sad story of very many teachers. In fact, at a general level, there’s no graduate teacher who got his status upgraded immediately after completion of studies. These are teachers who were on study leave with salary. Frustrations are written all over the faces of the people who are supposed to be the happiest of all government employees,” Teacher X posited, adding that “Teaching is, without any modicum of doubt, the oldest and most noble profession humanity has ever known. This beautiful profession becomes a repellent for young and professional teachers. The profession is no longer attractive to the graduate, thus they quit at every slide of opportunity. The voice is one, regularize the status of teachers and save them from the struggle of visiting.  Maximize contact and instructional hours!” Teacher X concluded.

To add insult to injury, teachers are not paid back the upgraded status salary the Gambia Government owes them from the time of finishing university or college education to the time of finally being recognized officially as university-educated. For example, in Teacher Y’s case, the government should legally pay him/her a full one year salary of a university-educated or graduate teacher from the day he completed and submitted his/her degree to the ministry. They owe him/her one whole year of this grade of salary. We will reach out to the Ministry of Education. But don’t be surprised with the same old no- response or decline-to- comment since it’s indeed forGambia News.