Respect the teachers dem...

From whom more is required, more should be given - but that's common knowledge. And truth be told, motivation and incentives for teachers in our public schools suck. It's just natural that they call attentions to their plight. I empathise because before paper-pushing, I was a teacher, and I can confirm how impaired the opportunities and treatments are.

Now I digress - Mom thought I was so reserved; I should try teaching for remediation. I obliged and taught for six months. Within that six months, I resigned three times. That's why I respect those who endure. Here's why I left:

My first month, the paymaster came to our school in Lamin (Daranka). My name wasn't on the payroll. I was told to go the Ministry in Banjul. I went. Indulged the Accountant's dawdle for hours only to be told that I should come the next day and 'please' wasn't the magic word.

I reminded them that they weren't doing me a favour like they said they were; it was their job to ensure that I was paid before my sweat dries out. They caught emotions, and I was also pissed, so I quit.

Days later, the headmaster called my mom and said he'd secured my salary, and that I should come back... I went.

Couple months later, it was another payday. But because one-by-six advances were to be paid, we were asked to converge at the Regional Office, opposite the College. From morning, the paymistress didn't come until five in the evening, naturally causing great agitation. Some guy that I later knew as the Regional Education Officer came out of his Pukus, yelling at us as if a slavemaster.

I couldn't take the arrogance. I called him out, and to order that is: how dare you talk to us like that... at least respect these greying Oustasses here. He was like: who's this small teacher? I said: don't call me a teacher. I quit. I'm not built for this kinda snobbery. That was the second.

The third was a compromise. I told the headmaster that I'll continue till end of the academic year, and it was for the sake of the kids. After that, I'm done teaching and he agreed. If I were to keep teaching on a salary that wasn't unlike an offering plate, I needed to be treated like I mattered.

This was me teaching here in Kombo. The further you go, the shoddier it gets, and so they pay what they call a "Hardship allowance" - mtcheew, it can't even buy you Warga for a week let alone make up for the hardship.