Education research in the spotlight: COVID-19 recovery and the status of teachers in 2021
On June 8 and 9, Education International hosted the annual meeting of its Research Network which brings together education researchers from around the world. The first day of the meeting gave participants the opportunity to share updates on the latest research in the sector and featured a preview of two upcoming reports:
- Education International’s report on the status of teachers and
- a report on educational responses during the COVID-19 crisis and times of disruption in the Africa region.
The status of teachers and the teaching profession in 2021
According to the initial findings, the status of teachers remains a concern in many jurisdictions. Teachers are aware that holding the same qualifications or levels of training as other professions does not always mean the same status, despite the fact that teaching and facilitating learning is complex and requires expertise.
A significant number of unions report that the status of teachers is constantly undermined by the interaction of the following factors:
- Pay is too low, conditions are deteriorating, infrastructure to support teaching and learning is not a priority for government investment.
- There is a lack of respect evident in the ways teachers and teaching are represented by governments and elements of the mass media.
- Work has intensified, and many unions report concerns for their members’ wellbeing due to the stress of a more complex job compounded by more and more being expected of teachers.
- Many teachers now face a future of precarious employment as permanent jobs are replaced with casual and short-term contracts.
- Meaningful continuous professional development that is easy to access and provided free of charge remains a priority for many unions.
The report warns that an increasing number of teachers are planning to leave the profession. At the same time, unions are concerned about attracting a new generation of teachers into a profession that is underpaid and undervalued.
The full report on the status of teachers will be published later this year.
Read the full article here: https://www.ei-ie.org/en/item/25020:education-research-in-the-spotlight-covid-19-recovery-and-the-status-of-teachers-in-2021
