Happy International Teacher's Day!

Today is International Teacher's Day. In some places I think it was on Saturday but in Ngoma District, at least, it was today. I went out to Remera Sector where the reps from the Sector, a parent, a teacher representative and a head teacher representative gave speeches to thank teachers for all their hard word. You know, teachers are the same all over the world. They do so much because it's a calling - not because of the pay cheques. (That isn't a surprise to many of you). It may shock you to learn that a starting teacher in Rwanda makes about $80 per month. Even by Rwandan standards, this is incredibly low. In secondary school students are streamed according to ability. Those who do well, are streamed toward sciences. As students perform worse they are streamed to different areas. The weakest students are streamed toward TTC (Teacher Training Centres). It makes me incredibly sad to think that the future of a country and the people who are responsible for delivering that, is given so little recognition. Having said that, the teachers that I have met aren't in it for the money (how could they be?) but for their love or children and for the learning process. That is what makes teaching a universal profession.

So, to all my teacher colleagues out there....keep doing what you're doing. We are lucky enough to have the best job in the world!