By Anne Lemaistre
Teaching is a challenging professional task. It requires knowledge,
motivation and adaptability. Each day offers new difficulties, and each
day we witness how individual teachers find creative ways to overcome
the difficult conditions exacerbated by limited equipment and material
resources with which to carry out their professional responsibilities.
Today, October 5, is celebrated worldwide as World Teachers’ Day.
These celebrations recognize the important role of teachers and
galvanize support for their task as educators but also role models,
helping students to become good citizens and participate fully in the
society.
On this special day, we would like to show our deep appreciation for
the vital contribution that teachers have made in education and
development of society.
A month ago, the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched his
“Education First Initiative.” It identifies three concrete actions:
first, putting every child in school; second improving the quality of
learning; and third fostering global citizenship. For each of these
priorities, teachers have a central role to play.
It is encouraging to note that Cambodian citizens recognize that
teachers are one of the main pillars of a sound and progressive society.
In a survey carried out by the NGO Education Partnership among 1,100
people from throughout Cambodia, more than 90 percent of respondents
believe that being a teacher is a good job, and two-thirds of them
believe that teachers are respected or highly respected in Cambodian
society.
In just over three decades, Cambodia has grown an impressive teaching
force of 86,000 and growing. There are now 26 Teacher Training Centers
throughout the country. This clearly indicates that teacher education
and professional development is of significant concern to the Cambodian
government, in particular to the Ministry of Education, Youth and
Sports. Further efforts of other ministries, such as the Ministry of
Labor and Vocational Training, also need to be acknowledged in preparing
teachers to teach in technical and vocational schools and centers which
are playing an important role in developing a skilled workforce.
Cambodia still faces significant challenges. It has a large
student-teacher ratio, particularly at the primary level, driven by
massive growth in student enrolments over the past decade. In addition,
rural primary schools tend to have a higher concentration of students
per classroom than urban primary schools.
Teacher deployment in remote areas remains a challenge, which has a
direct consequence on the most disadvantaged students. Encouraging and
supporting secondary students from remote areas to become teachers,
providing them with a supporting environment and benefits to remain in
their home districts as teachers is one important strategy that has been
successfully pursued by many countries worldwide.
Upgrading teacher qualifications is another key challenge. It is
estimated that significant efforts will be required to upgrade the
qualifications of the one-third of the teaching force with only lower
secondary education qualifications or less. Other issues such as the
teachers’ presence in the classrooms, absenteeism, number of
instructional hours, informal fees and supplementary tutoring etc. will
require more comprehensive strategies and actions to address teacher
recruitment, preparation, deployment and remuneration.
To further enhance the teacher recruitment, professional development,
motivation and overall support, the Ministry of Education, Youth and
Sports is developing a national teacher policy. It provides an excellent
opportunity to take into account the teacher’s voice, sending a clear
signal to the teachers that their opinions matter and that they have a
chance to contribute.
This is indeed aptly summed up by Minister of Education Im Sethy, who
once during a conversation said: “Teachers know what’s working in
schools before anyone else.”
While we strive to seek best possible support mechanisms, it is
equally important in turn for teachers to be accountable to their
students and communities. The teaching profession is encouraged to
design and implement teacher codes of conduct, based on the highest
ethical and professional standards, and to be oriented around the goal
of teaching all students effectively and equally.
Education is not only the concern and responsibility of the
government and the ministries of education. Everyone—governments and
educational institutions at all levels, teachers’ associations, civil
society organizations, development partners, the private sector, parents
and teachers themselves have this responsibility. Hence, we all need to
come together to support teachers professionally, boosting their
determination and motivation through ensuring decent employment and
working conditions and adequate remuneration.
On this special day, with the impetus of Ban’s Education First
initiative, let us join forces to express our gratitude to the teachers
for their exceptional contribution in building a modern and sustainable
society and the enormous impact they have on our society and our future
citizens.
As Irina Bokova, Unesco director general, states: “We expect a lot
from teachers—they, in turn, are right to expect as much from us.”
Anne Lemaistre is the Unesco representative to Cambodia.
