Bright young students are increasingly shunning teaching as a career option, as the profession seems to have lost its appeal. Dr. Neelesh Gounder highlighted this issue during a recent discussion at the World Teachers Day celebration organized by the Fiji Teachers Union.
He posed an important question: “Why are talented students not pursuing teaching degrees?” Gounder pointed out that some individuals who earn a Bachelor of Education choose not to enter the teaching field, opting instead to leverage their subject knowledge to secure jobs in the private sector or other industries, despite being trained as educators.
According to Gounder, many qualified teachers are reluctant to join the profession because something is deterring them from embracing the career for which they have studied.
He emphasized that teaching is a professional career and suggested that improving working conditions for teachers should start with better salaries and incentives to provide competitive pay and benefits. However, he questioned how these salaries and benefits should be assessed.
One proposed solution is to compare teachers’ compensation with that of other professions that require similar qualifications, skills, and experience. This approach could help create fair employment conditions, attract skilled educators, and ultimately elevate the social status of teachers in society.