Private school teachers occupy a paradoxical position in a nation’s education system: visible in their role but often unseen in recognition. They are the quiet builders of character and intellect, working in classrooms that brim with potential and instability. Their work, though admirable, is frequently overshadowed by systemic neglect, and their voices are too often dismissed as mere murmurs amid the noise of policy debates.
The open letter I saw in a Facebook post last week, written by a private school teacher and quietly yet powerfully spreading on social media, is not just a lonely complaint. This has been a well-known appeal for a long time, but it is always ignored! This appeal clearly expresses a shared truth that has long been hidden beneath institutional politeness and professional restraint. For eight years, the writer has been a provider of knowledge and a guardian of values, shaping young lives with a dedication that goes beyond simple transactions. However, behind this steady commitment is a growing fatigue, not from the classroom itself, but from the unfairness surrounding it.
The gap between public and private school salaries is not just about numbers but also reveals a philosophical inconsistency. While public school teachers get support through state-funded pay and benefits, their private school counterparts face financial instability even though they often do similar or more demanding work. The work is equal; the rewards are unfairly unequal.
This inequity is not harmless; it is damaging. It undermines morale, decreases retention, and threatens the foundation of private education. As mentioned in the letter, the potential departure of private school teachers to the public sector, not as a threat but as a possibility, would deplete private schools of the pedagogical excellence they have long depended on. The question isn’t whether such a move could happen but whether the system can withstand its consequences.
Private school educators are not seeking special treatment. Their request isn’t for luxury but for respect. They want to reevaluate how value is assigned, recognizing that their work is not optional but essential. They also have families to support, futures to shape, and dreams to protect. Teaching, while a calling from the heart, must also be a sustainable profession of the mind.
The emotional impact of invisibility runs deep. While passion remains strong, it is not limitless. When teachers feel unseen, their workload grows, and their joy diminishes due to systemic neglect. The letter’s author describes how they try to keep their passion alive while feeling increasingly exhausted—a duality many educators experience but rarely discuss.
This appeal is not a complaint. It is a heartfelt plea calling for empathy, policy reform, and institutional bravery. It reminds us that the sustainability of education relies not just on infrastructure and curriculum but also on the well-being of those who support its purpose. Ignoring this plea jeopardizes the future of learning itself.
Having spent many years in the private education sector, I observe broader implications that I cannot ignore. The undervaluing of private school teachers isn’t merely an oversight; it reveals a deeper cultural problem: romanticizing teaching while failing to allocate sufficient resources. This issue requires honest resolution through political intervention.
Educational equity must extend beyond mere access to improve teachers’ conditions. Compensation reform is not a luxury but a necessity. It affirms that excellence in education isn’t limited to public institutions and that private school teachers, often facing more constraints, deserve equal recognition and pay. However, this compensation reform has long been overlooked and ignored by those responsible for addressing this issue within the private education sector.
Let this appeal serve as a turning point. Shift the focus from sentiment to action. Urge school administrators, policymakers, and stakeholders to see the economics of education not as a cost to cut but as an investment to grow. The future of private education relies on its ability to retain top talent, and retention starts with respect.
A society’s true value shows in how it educates its youth and respects those who do so. The quiet voices of private school teachers convey moral clarity. It’s time we listened to their pleas with compassion and a genuine desire to make change.
In the broader education story, private school teachers remain quiet heroes who go unrecognized, are underpaid, yet stay committed. Their work is not superficial; it is critical. However, they are often on the edges of policy, their value judged not by their influence but by the limitations of institutional funding. This must change. We need to realign our moral compass and recognize that the dignity of teaching should not differ by sector. Let us not wait until silence turns into absence, or resignation becomes departure.
Let this be the moment we truly listen, not just with superficial nods but with a genuine commitment to change. Every classroom where a private school teacher continues to teach despite the challenges reflects a quiet but urgent truth that we must now honor, support, and act on.
There is no valid reason to dismiss or belittle this appeal from private school teachers.