Last Wednesday, October 15th all the Brazil celebrated the day of teachers. So this post is a tribute to these very important professionals. Many times do not so recognized as they should be. This post is a summary of two articles. The first with the title of, "World Teachers` Day 2014." Published in October at http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-teachersday-2014 . The second with the title of, "Value teachers as much as education." This article was published in March of 2014 at http://www.providencejournal.com/opinion/commentary/20140315-value-teachers-as-much-as-educat
Teachers are an investment for the future of countries. What today`s children will face in adult life can not be predicted and so the teachers of today and tomorrow need the skills, knowledge and support that will enable them to meet the diverse learning needs of every girl and boy. This year, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of World Teachers`Day. The day commemorates the adoption of the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the status of teachers in 1966. This recommendation is morally binding for all countries. In many countries, the quality of education is undermined by a deficit of teachers. 1.4 million teachers are missing in classrooms by 2015, according to the UNESCO. Added to the challenge of numbers is one of quality: all too often, teachers work without resources or proper training. It is essential that teachers remain a priority. The Global Thematic Consultation on Education in the Post-2015 Development Agenda states the essential for supporting teachers` effectiveness: 1) good conditions of employment, including appropriate contracts and salaries, and prospects for career progression and promotion; 2) good conditions in the work environment, based on creating schools contexts that are conducive to teaching; 3) high-quality training for teachers, based on respect for human rights and the principles of inclusive education. 4) effective management, including teacher recruitment and deployment. The international community and governments need to stand united to support teachers and quality learning worldwide, but especially in those countries where the highest number of out-of-school children exists. This Teachers` day UNESCO and its partners invite all to help spread the message that invest in teachers is key. After all, an education system is only as good as its teachers.
I am a high school student, and my university search has begun, and this include questions about our anticipated university majors and career plans. The way people react to our answers provides important insights into societal values: When young people say they aspire to be physicians, lawyers, or scientists, are they assumed to be intelligent and ambitious? What about those who want to be teachers? When I have revealed that this is my plan, I have been met with a less than enthusiastic response. Sometimes it seems like my years of hard work and diligence in school have been reduced to this one question, and my answer leaves some unimpressed. I have been taught to value my teachers and that education is sacred. Yet my interest in education as a career does not seem to be celebrated by society, nor necessarily seen as a positive reflection of my intellect or academic achievements. Could it be possible that the lack of respect for the profession is a driving force behind the underperformance of our nation`s education system? One country with different values and better results than ours is Finland. In PISA tests Finland has achieved strong results. Finland is often studied because of its focus on reforming its education system, a process that began in the 1980s and culminated in its current status as one of the top-performing education system in the world. One obvious cultural difference between Finland and the U.S. is the respect shown for individuals in the teaching profession. It is said that Finnish teachers are looked upon as favorably as doctors, engineers and economists. This is reflected in their compensation. In Finland, there is more non-teaching classroom time, and this time is spent on lessons plans, discussions with other teachers, curriculum development, and so on. This foster the culture of a learning community in which continual improvement and professional development are encouraged. Research shows that countries with the best scholastic performance typically pay teachers a higher wage than countries with lower performance. Countries that have succeeded in raising the status of teaching as a profession have done so not only by increasing compensation but also by giving teachers a voice in educational reform. The education of our children should be one of our top priorities, especially given our academic outcomes relative to those of other countries. Perhaps the answer to the concerns about our education system is a simple one: Our society should value teachers as much as we ask our students to value education. A shift in the collective attitude toward teaching may be surprisingly beneficial.
