At present, several countries have witnessed a concerning decline in humans’ interest in pedagogical careers, especially in secondary schools. From my perspective, this alarming trend is mainly ascribed to limited remuneration and heavy workload associated with these jobs; however, it would be well addressed if governmental measures are timely and effective, as elaborated in the following essay.
The decreasing number of high school teachers can be attributed to financial and health reasons. The strongest rationale behind this phenomenon would be their low salaries. In many countries, such as Vietnam and Thailand, the earnings of many public school instructors are not sufficient to cover their basic living needs and ensure a comprehensive lifestyle where basic subsistence and relaxation are balanced. Not only would this place a financial burden on these teachers but also pressurize their families, therefore forcing them to seek other additional sources of income or even resign from their teaching posts. All these pecuniary difficulties would foster public disinclination towards this honored profession. Furthermore, teaching jobs, especially in secondary schools, commonly involve a range of non-academic duties, such as supervising extracurricular activities, meeting parents and hosting school celebrations. This would increase one’s workload and reduce time for relaxation, thereby compromising their work-life balance. In other words, their hectic schedules leave them little time for workouts and socialization, which can increase risks of stress and depression.
In my view, all the aforementioned concerns highlight a pressing need for governmental intervention. One measure should be the betterment of teachers’ remuneration. By recognizing their diligence and perseverance with adequate salaries will high school teachers be incentivized to stay productive, dedicated and innovative at work. This income augmentation would alleviate their monetary pressure while driving them to enhance their expertise without searching for other jobs to boost their earnings. Another measure would be allocating the national budget to the improvement of leisure infrastructure. In other words, the integration of workout equipment and recreational facilities at school would stimulate the engagement of teaching staff in physical and leisure activities, thus bolstering their fitness and fostering collegiality through regular interactions. Such an investment should benefit their physical health as well as their mental well-being as these outdoor activities would help them to unwind and relax their minds.
To sum up, the prevailing disinterest in teaching work in many countries can be explained by low pay rates and health-related concerns due to overwork. I believe that these problems can be alleviated if adequate responses are taken, such as better salaries, and the availability of workout and leisure amenities.