Professional Development Workshop for The Grange Christian School Teachers, Senior Management and Staff

Teachers play an extraordinary part in the lives of children for the future years of their development and the importance of teachers cannot be understated. They involve themselves in molding children into responsible citizens of the country. It was therefore, under this premise that the Institute conducted a Protocol, Business Etiquette, Professional Grooming and Deportment Workshop for The Grange Christian School Teachers, Senior Management and Staff from 18 – 19 January 2018 at The Grange Christian School, Chisipite.

The facilitator, Mr Chikanda, highlighted that teachers are undoubtedly the most significant contributors to education for national development since a country can flourish and prosper with the knowledge imparted by them. Teachers are the main tools and catalyst that advance technical skills in our future leaders. However, he noted with concern the lack of soft skills training in Zimbabwe’s education curriculum. As a country, we spend an inordinate amount of time, resources and money looking at how to improve the quality of education in our schools but without soft skills in it, the country will not achieve tangible results.

Protocol, Etiquette and Professional Grooming Training was identified as critical for teacher education as there is a connection between the way one looks and the way one thinks and acts. Without debut, Teachers are the role models for our students; when they dress professionally it sends important message to the students. They teach our children not just about academic subject but how also a professional looks and behave thus, they are representatives of the society who inculcates moral precepts and become role models for their children. Students try to follow the teacher’s manners, etiquette, customs and style of communication. Therefore, an incompetent teacher is not only a bad educator but also the signal of a corrupt and incompetent generation and nation at large.

In conclusion, the importance of Teachers as catalyst to societal development and an architect of our future generation demand not only the most intelligent but also perfectly groomed educators with knowledge of Protocol and Etiquette – for what is a human being without soft skills? Nothing but a mere reasoning savage. It is through good Business Etiquette and Protocol that the savagery in human beings will be removed and revamps our country’s economic fortunes.