Let’s talk about an uncomfortable truth: we’re systematically undervaluing one of society’s most crucial professions, teaching. The disparity in how we treat educators compared to other professionals isn’t just striking; it’s shocking. Take a moment to consider this scenario: A pastor with fewer than 100 congregants will often use high-quality sound systems, projectors, and microphones to deliver their message, supported by a team of volunteers for an hour-long service, three times a week. Meanwhile, a teacher, managing over 50 students daily, speaks without a mic, strains their voice for hours on end, and rarely gets even a fraction of that support.
The message is loud and clear, though unspoken: Teachers themselves have allowed society to undervalue their work. By perpetuating the idea that education is “cheap,” educators inadvertently cheapen their skills, experience, and the immeasurable value they bring to the world.
The Value Gap: Doctors, Lawyers, Pastors and Teachers
Think about doctors: They attend to one patient at a time and charge, accordingly, ensuring their expertise is compensated. Lawyers charge per client, reflecting the effort each case requires. Even pastors, whose work is religious, often demand and receive earthly rewards for their labour. On the other hand, teachers have long accepted a different narrative: their rewards await them in heaven.
But let’s be honest—this perspective is outdated and harmful. Teachers are shaping the minds of future leaders, doctors, lawyers, and pastors, yet they are consistently undervalued, underpaid, and overlooked.
The True Cost of Education
If you’ve ever explored online teaching platforms, you’ll notice a clear financial structure: Parents pay an average of $40 per month per child. Multiply that by the number of children in a classroom, and you see the disparity. Teachers handling 50 students a day should theoretically earn at a scale that reflects their cumulative impact. Instead, they’re expected to stretch their voices, energy, and resources often with no assistance and minimal tools just to meet basic expectations.
Why should parents sit comfortably in air-conditioned churches with high-tech sound systems while their children’s teachers work in under-resourced classrooms with broken chairs and whiteboards barely holding together? The imbalance is staggering—and unjust.
Here’s the hard truth: Teachers are among the most financially naive professionals in the world. They’ve accepted societal norms that rank pastors, doctors, and lawyers above them, despite carrying a heavier burden daily. It’s time for this to change.
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- Demand fair compensation: Teachers should negotiate their salaries based on their per-child impact. If a classroom has 50 students and the average online learning rate per child is $40/month, that’s a starting point for salary discussions.
- Challenge societal expectations: Just as other professionals set clear boundaries and expectations, teachers must assert their value. Speak up, demand better resources, and refuse to be treated as second-class professionals.
- Change the narrative: Stop waiting for your “reward in heaven.” Teaching is not a religious vocation it’s a profession. And like all professions, it deserves recognition, respect, and adequate remuneration here on Earth.
The Road to Equity
Parents, administrators, and society at large need to confront their biases. Teachers do more than just “teach.” They mentor, inspire, discipline, and guide. Their work lays the foundation for every other profession. Insulting or underpaying them only perpetuates a broken system where education—the bedrock of any society is devalued.
To every teacher reading this: You are the architects of the future. It’s time to start building a foundation for yourselves, too. Advocate for your worth, because no one else will do it for you. Your impact is immeasurable; your value should be, too.
