TEACHERS AND CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
 
By Winfield Williams
 
Although many people may not be aware of it, teachers are pivotal in our efforts to remake our constitution. The clearest sign of their importance could be seen when the authorities invited them to Arnos Vale to apprise them of the undertaking and to get their initial input. As far as I know, no other group has been given that opportunity.

Role of Teachers

While not wanting to take away from the contribution other groups can make to the process, the reform of our constitution will be less than adequate if the teachers do not play their vital part. But why are the teachers so important in the process of constitutional reform?

Teachers are responsible for the development of the minds of the young people in the society. They do this by passing on socially desirable knowledge and information, which will enable the young to cope with the social and personal situations that they encounter everyday. These young people will perhaps be the most important beneficiaries (or victims) of constitutional change, if only for the reason that they will be adults of tomorrow. More immediately, we have situation where all the children who are now 15 at school will be able to vote just around the time that we should be having the referendum on the constitution.

Now, one of the crucial challenges faced in the staging of any referendum is to ensure that intending voters have a thorough grasp of the issues involved. Without this, the referendum will certainly be a farce. Thus, if we expect the meaningful participation of young people we have a moral responsibility to inform and conscientise on the issues. It is here that role of the teachers becomes crucial. For they are best placed to educate and guide the youths on constitutional matters. In fact, that is their responsibility.

This is a daunting task given the usual lack of concern about serious matters like the constitution. It is true that the public consultations have generated some interest, but we have a way of running "hot and cold" with important social projects like the present one. Teachers themselves also suffer from this short attention span. This is the biggest obstacle to be overcome if they are to carry out their important responsibilities with the youth.

Opportunities

The situation, however, is not so difficult since the Teachers’ Union is represented on the Commission. This offers them an excellent opportunity to mobilize as a group. In this way, they will be able to deal not only with the needs of their charges but also to make their own organized input into constitutional change.

Up to this point, there has been little consultation among teachers on the constitution. And this is somewhat of an anticlimax to the attention that they were given at the beginning of the process. The union recently held a consultation. Although it was successful, it might have been far more effective if it had been preceded by deliberations at the branch level. So, it is to be hoped that the executive of the Union will take this bottom-up approach in order to involve all teachers in the change process.

The Commission has given the teachers some support by holding consultations at all secondary and tertiary institutions during the first term of the present academic year. This is being followed by an essay and poetry competition on the Constitution, which has already been initiated. This presents an opportunity for teachers to help their students develop interest through planned curriculum activities. For example, it will be quite easy to integrate a unit on the Constitution into the Social Studies programme. Further, students can be encouraged to use it as a topic for their School-based Assessment. Additionally, discussions and information-sharing on relevant issues can be easily brought into the English curriculum at all levels.

These and many other activities can be used by teachers to get the young people involved in the reform process. Let us not forget that the role of the teachers in this process is going to be evaluated mainly in terms of the extent to which they would have empowered the young people to participate meaningfully in it.
 
Previous Menu