My Fellow Bahamians,
For several years, the debate in this country has been all about trying to understand why our society has deteriorated to such an extent. I believe that the answer lies with our children.
I have taught in the public school system in The Bahamas for over nineteen years and I am a mother of three boys. My husband and I moved our family from Nassau to a family island eight years ago. For eight years, I enjoyed the unique pleasure of working at the same school which my children attended.
In June of 2012, my employer reassigned me to a school on another island. I have spent the past seven months appealing to my employer that I cannot be separated from my children, to no avail. In order to get to work at my newly assigned school, I must leave my children early in the morning and I do not see them until late afternoon. My husband has always worked on a neighboring island, which means that my three boys are left with no parental supervision.
I naively thought that surely the people responsible for educating our youth would consider the impact on my children. I was wrong.
Throughout these past seven months of appeal I have been appalled to learn that most people in this country think that having ‘latch-key children’ is acceptable. Ask yourself, when is the last time you even heard the term, ‘latch-key children’? Unfortunately, allowing children to raise themselves or having older children raise their siblings is the norm in The Bahamas.
If the bureaucrats in Education refuse to consider the impact on children of moving teachers around like pawns on a chessboard, what hope do we have for our children?
In the female dominated profession of teaching, this occurs too often. With no consideration, teachers are told that they must move to another island to work. Psychiatrists will tell you that moving puts people, especially children, under a great deal of stress. I have often witnessed teachers whose frustration inevitably results in a negative attitude, which student easily discern.
This feeling of hopelessness and the lack of control over one’s own destiny, is imparted to children. Without hope, we are doomed to continue this downward spiral.
I encourage teachers in this country to fight for our children. Take control of your own destiny. Let us teach our children that WE DO HAVE A CHOICE.
My fellow Bahamians, for the sake of the future of our country, let us MAKE OUR CHILDREN OUR PRIORITY. Let them know that money and status mean nothing when weighed against our love for our children.
Yours Sincerely,
Disillusioned Teacher and Desperate Mother
