I recently resigned from my teaching job. I couldn’t take the stress, demand and pressure, as I had absolutely no time for myself or my family. I ended up with acute spondylitis, which resulted in a severe headache for days and I couldn’t sleep.
Finally, as a last resort, I went through acupuncture treatment, which cost me almost an entire month’s salary. Standing and teaching for years led to the development of varicose veins, which caused severe spasms, and I had to get an operation.
The purpose of sharing my experience is to highlight how many schools in Dubai are not bothered whether children are learning anything or not. They only want a good rating from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). The school management would often tell teachers that KHDA wants a certain set of changes to be made. But, what about the children?
As a teacher, I got to know my students well and would cater to them accordingly. I was so passionate about teaching and being around students, but the inflexible nature of our education system killed it. I was a teacher for almost 19 years and encouraged many children to see their worth. But, now, I’m at home, trying to change my profession due to the pressures associated with the job.
This is the state of many teachers in the country. Our work does not end in school, it continues even at home, until very late in the night. Earlier, teachers taught and children learned. It was an exciting adventure for both parties. Now, someone who doesn’t even know my students tells me how to teach them, with a lot of do’s and don’ts.
I hope in this process, everything changes for the good of the children, and not for the benefit of the owners of the schools, as I believe education has become commercialised.
-The reader is a former teacher based in Dubai.
