Social justice is one of the pillars of the Eritrean national charter. The Eritrean government works to ensure fair distribution of social services. Educational service is available from kindergarten to higher education with nominal payment, this guarantee’s youth engagement in the process of nation building. The assignment of youth in the teaching profession is prevailing, due to the significance of education for nation building.
Youth in teaching profession is a great multiplying wealth. The youth are the energy with the power to transform society, while, teaching is a complex process that can mold the transforming mind. Teachers work for social well-being molding the mind of students to the need of society and environment. When youth become teachers, it ensures a consistent flow of updated knowledge and discoveries. Societies with youth teachers are confident of their future, since they can creatively train other professions.
There are also many benefits for the youth workers who take part in this profession. Mentally they become healthy; when they explore different environments, create a bond with communities, contextualize or/and practically apply their knowledge and become updated.
In Eritrea, locating the place where youth teachers work focuses to an environment never exposed before. This gives them an opportunity to acquaint with other communities and expand their horizons. For instance, when a worker from the Maekel region is assigned to the Gash Barka region, he/she can learn the environment, language and culture of Nara, Kunama, Bidawyet and other ethnic groups. This exposure helps them create a bond with the students and communities.
Knowledge needs a ground to contextualize and practically apply it. To find a ground for contextualizing or/and practically applying skills is another informal educational opportunity. This qualifies teachers to actively engage in the profession and mold the mind of the student as well as community in a problem solving attitude.
A curious youth teacher is always ready to produce and consume new discoveries. This passion helps youth be updated and problem solvers. They are much motivated to new research and active engagement, especially when communities praise their work and students ask to know more. Besides, it broadens their knowledge to various other topics and professions.
Patience, compassion and empathy are some characters youth can possibly develop in the profession. Those qualities attach the soul of the youth with the students, parents and the profession. When they work with those characters for social well-being, they become an inspiration for others beyond the profession.
Eventually, the youth begin to understand the potential their position and social role can play in the society. A factor that makes the youth feel purposeful and productive. This feeling gives a mental relief and a chance to fruitfully deal with new identity. The identity discovered in the society allows them to emerge with a new sense of self that is both inspirational and acceptable.
Those benefits make youth teachers be the main agent of nation-building. They manufacture the psychological and physical character the process entails. And govern the national economy supplying a skilled, disciplined, moral and competent man power, a solid foundation that destined the nation only grow high.
But there are some challenges, as social media is globally overwhelming our day to day activities. The exposure of students to various platforms and encouragement of self-learning are diminishing teacher’s role. Furthermore, some youths are not hopeful with the profession as they are not patient to fetch the benefits and understand reality.
Thus, youth teacher is a wealth that determines the future of a nation. It lays a ground for the youth to expand its knowledge horizon, be updated, productive and mature multi-dimensionally. In return, they accelerate nation building by supplying skilled, moral and competent students. At last, Eritrean youth teachers are recommended to patiently mine the wealth of the profession and environment they work in, for their own and their nation’s bright future.
Written By: Kidane Shimendi