Question

Critically discuss the challenges teachers experience when teaching economics in rural area Africa country

Answer 1

It is generally assumed that working in rural schools is considerably more difficult and more demotivating than in urban schools because of poor living and working conditions. However, the findings from various country studies show that this is not necessarily always the case. Teachers who have grown up in rural areas frequently have strong social support networks in their community, and even if they are posted to another rural area, they are well adapted to village life. On the other hand, many university graduates are from urban backgrounds and therefore may find it difficult to adapt to living in rural areas and often resist being posted to rural schools.

The responses made by teachers from rural Africa highlight the opportunities and constraints facing educators in selected countries and the key challenges they face daily in their communities, when travelling to school and in the classrooms, and how these affect their teaching practices and their students learning outcomes. It is encouraging to note that some are positive about their role as teachers and are supportive of reform in rural education in their countries to progress towards universal primary education.

Remuneration levels are set nationally to take account of qualifications and other factors such as length of service. In general these are established in relation to:

· national income levels, usually measured in gross domestic product (GDP) per capita;

· minimum living standards in very poor countries;

· a comparison with other professions requiring similar qualifications, length of training, knowledge, skills and responsibilities;

· education authorities’ fiscal or revenue capacity (UNESCO, 2015).

There is a loss of prestige for the teaching profession where teacher salaries are not perceived as commensurate with levels of education, training and responsibilities. Salaries that do not achieve even the basic household poverty line in very low-income countries result in teacher recruitment difficulties, absenteeism and low teacher performance.

Teachers engage in other economic activities in order to earn extra income to supplement their salaries, even during class hours.

· Low salary and delays in the payment of teachers’ allowances lead to teachers being accorded low status.

· Teacher absenteeism affects instructional activities and disrupts students’ learning.

· A number of teachers have dropped from the teaching profession and opted for better-paying professions.

· The shortage of teachers affects students’ learning.

· Some teachers established private instruction centres.

· Some teachers fail to cover the syllabus because of spending time following up on their salary or related payments and participating in teachers’ strikes