The “anyone can do it” syndrome

The current problems being caused by the acute teacher shortage in our schools escalated this week over an email sent by the Education Department to University students who were asked whether they wanted to work part-time to fill in for missing teachers in various subjects.

Teachers were, understandably, up in arms and outraged, at this further blow to the status of their profession. It is bad enough that they are underpaid, overstressed and overwhelmed by the bureaucracy of lesson plans and other paperwork, the race to cover the syllabus, the challenge of teaching mixed abilities and the constant undermining by interfering parents. On top of all this they were now being basically told, well really, anyone can do your job. See? Even an undergraduate student.

Now, there seems to be some confusion over who ordered this email to be sent, as on the one hand, the Education Minister is saying that he feels only MA graduates should have been approached, and yet this email was sent by the Directorate for Educational Services which falls under his ministry. So either the minister is not aware of what is going on, or someone misled him, or someone was a bit too zealous and despatched the email of his or her own volition. Or he is being economical with the truth.

Whatever the reason is, there seems to be a serious lack of communication between the various branches of this sector which needs to be resolved. The Malta Union of Teachers has now become involved, and the mounting anger being voiced by educators might even lead to industrial action. The misguided perception that being qualified in say, accounts, means you can actually teach that subject to others, needs to be dispelled, because there is a whole set of skills required to learn how to impart that knowledge, known as pedagogy. So first teachers were told they must have a warrant and the B.Educ course was lengthened to a Masters degree, and the next minute, in a management-by-crisis measure, undergrads are being roped in. The contradictions are mind-boggling.

What has really struck me about all this, however, is that it points to a certain air of dismissiveness and lack of respect towards other people’s professions, and not just when it comes to teachers. Everyone’s job looks easy peasy seen from the outside looking in. It happens in every sector, and at the top of my head I can think of at least two in which I have been involved in all my professional life where it also happens: broadcasting (as a TV and radio producer) and journalism.

How many times have we sat down to watch local television and wondered how on earth certain TV presenters ever made it on the air? There was a time when being on TV was a much-coveted job which required professional training, proper preparation and weeks if not months of practice on mock programmes until one was allowed to appear on the box. From TV announcers (remember them?) who would tell us the day’s programming, to newscasters, to talk show hosts and even quiz presenters, it was not a matter of just showing up, slapping on some make-up and thrusting a microphone in the face of your guest. Behind-the-scenes, before the final product went on air, a lot of unseen but crucial work and prepping were involved.

To become a presenter it was not enough to just have a pretty face, you had to have the right kind of broadcaster’s voice as well (especially for radio). Voice tests were de rigueur, which I think is something which rarely happens nowadays judging from what I often hear on the radio. I sometimes stare at my radio in disbelief at the horrible, completely and hopelessly wrong-for-broadcasting voice I am listening to and am tempted to start bashing the radio in frustration.

It is no coincidence that the best TV presenters we have ever had also coincided with the time when there was only the national station and not much else. I think there is a direct correlation between the slide in standards and the liberalization of the airwaves when suddenly you had a number of radio stations and TV stations opening up which needed skilled, qualified and specialized human resources which were simply not there. The result was that many were simply thrown into the field and learned on the job. Some stations took the trouble to give their employees proper training, others didn’t bother.

The political stations in particular relied very heavily on volunteers – but how long can you give up your spare time and work for free, no matter how much you may love broadcasting? Eventually many moved on, and to replace them became more and more difficult. Now, 25 years down the line, as the novelty of so many stations has worn off, there is the prevailing impression that “anyone can do it”. Bar a few exceptions here and there, not many studio-based, locally-produced programmes really measure up when it comes to quality, production research and innovation. The result is that more and more people have switched off Maltese stations and invested in an android box and IPTV instead.

Very similarly, the proliferation of more newsrooms whether on radio and TV, in print and now online, has led to the present situation where everyone thinks they can be a journalist. The most basic requirement, accuracy, has been the first casualty. Unfortunately, the manic desire to be the “first” with a scoop, especially online, has led to rushing unnecessarily to publish a story immediately. When those who have not been properly trained and qualified in the field are expected to churn out stories like so many pastizzi, you end up with incorrect information being circulated and shared because no one would have bothered to check and double check first. The layers of a standard newspaper’s newsroom with its hierarchy of those who check the story, from the journalist to the sub-editor, the proofreader and finally the editor (who bears the ultimate responsibility) has gone out the window in many cases with the advent of online news portals, as stories are being published first, and then the real questions are asked later.

The Who, What, Where, Why, When and How …the famous five W’s and one H which are drummed into us when we study journalism often do not seem to be taken into any consideration (or else they are added in dribs and drabs leading to much wild speculation and conjecture on the part of readers until the real story unfolds at some point later that day, or even the next). It is no wonder that we often read as many versions of a story as there are news organizations. Even basic details, such as someone’s age, do not even tally from one report to another. And please do not even get me started on the declining standards of English and Maltese. There really is no excuse, in a profession such as journalism where the written word is so important, for sloppy writing, atrocious grammar and hit or miss spelling. But because there is the prevailing belief that “anyone can do it”, we are left with a wide spectrum of abilities – from those who are excellent, to those who really are in the wrong job. No, not everyone knows how to report facts accurately, not everyone has a nose for what is ‘news’, not everyone can be relied on to write against a deadline while the clock ticks away. And, in the case of journalists sent to cover press conferences, no, not everyone knows what pertinent questions should be asked of the politician, rather than simply scribbling away, reporting his words verbatim on their notebook.

This ‘anyone can do it’ syndrome can be applied to other fields as well – from people setting up shop as beauticians and nail technicians after a few week’s course, to those who are presumptuous enough to pass themselves off as music and dance teachers, personal trainers, and even professional photographers without the relevant qualifications or background. There have to be higher standards across the board, there has to be proper certification and some kind of stamp of approval from the relevant body which oversees each sector, because without a benchmark it is just a slap in the face for those who are properly qualified in their field.

This is why the present crisis which educators are facing needs to be taken seriously by all of us, and why we should all support teachers in their fight to obtain adequate recognition of their profession, in the form of better pay and more respect. If you treat employees well, they will not desert the sector in droves as is currently happening. It really is that simple. Josanne Cassar The “anyone can do it” syndrome What has really struck me about all this, however, is that it points to a certain air of dismissiveness and lack of respect towards other people’s professions, and not just when it comes to teachers.