If you get what you pay for in life, then teachers deserve a fair deal

Maryam Ismail praises educators, and pleads their case for better pay and conditions.

Teaching in Abu Dhabi. (Mona Al Marzooqi / The National)

This week I learnt the chain stitch with a lovely sewing teacher, who, if this was Disney, could have been the string fairy. My small group found her so helpful that we asked for her business card so that we could follow her like a flock of sheep. Teachers like this are worth their weight in gold, so I am happy to pay her whatever she asks, knowing that it is to my benefit.

As author Malcolm Gladwell says in Outliers, success comes from exposure and opportunity. Some people have both and let them slip away, as American poet Nikki Giovanni recounted when she expressed regret about failing to learn to play the piano from her aunt.

The aunt had a habit of tapping the child’s hand each time she made a mistake, so Giovanni shied away from lessons. “(But) I am the one who can’t play now,” she confessed. I am sure that many a student and school feels the same every time they lose a great teacher.

The UAE has some excellent teachers and despite often being underpaid and overworked, they remain dedicated to building this country’s future. Even so, the absolute minimum for a teacher to do their job well is a living wage and being paid on time.

This is especially true given attempts to raise the bar. As one school administrator pointed out recently in relation to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which regulates education in Dubai: “KHDA standards are going up every year; it’s a marathon just to keep up.” This obviously means longer hours and more work for teachers.

Then there is the support staff, such as the teaching assistant who helps in the classroom. In two schools that I checked, the assistant was paid less than Dh1,000 a month.

Rising standards and stagnant wages is an algorithm for disaster. Many teachers find it hard to make ends meet, so they take on extra work. If they are exhausted by their after-hours work, how can they teach in school?

A teacher’s salary can vary wildly by school in the UAE. Can anything be done to level the playing field, especially as education is so important?

Then there is the question of not getting paid at all. Right now, there isn’t much that a teacher can do about unpaid salaries other than go to court. This costs time, money and possibly one’s peace of mind.

So, what can be done? Official bodies may be a solution. They could assess staffing, pay and practices. Another possibility is for a mystery consumer to secretly ask teachers what deal they have. There could be a service like Al Ameen, which was launched by Dubai in 2003 to enable citizens to communicate confidentially with the authorities. Or perhaps there could be some way for the relevant ministries to verify the salaries paid to teachers. A system like this is already in place for construction workers and taxi drivers.

Today we have online classes, e-books and web videos, but the truth is, none of these can replace a teacher, especially one with immense knowledge and great skill at imparting it to impressionable young minds.

In The Giver, a novel for young adults, the veil of ignorance lifts from the eyes, mind and heart of the protagonist Jonas after he meets the Giver. This is what all great teachers do and they should be paid for their talent and hard work.

Maryam Ismail is a sociologist and teacher who divides her time between the US and the UAE