By Trudy Simpson, Staff ReporterWHERE WOULD you be now if a good teacher had not crossed your path? That is what the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA) wants all Jamaicans to think about when the country celebrates World Teachers Day today.
"We ask parents and all citizens to take a moment to think of the difference that a good teacher has made in your life. Where would you be now if that teacher had not crossed your path," the JTA said in a statement issued Thursday which lauded Jamaica's 23,000 educators.
The theme for the day is "Teachers opening doors to a better world". It recognises that teachers play an important role in "knowledge economy" by continuing to create and impart the knowledge to children who fall under their care, views espoused by the JTA, the United Nations Educa-tional Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the World Confederation of Teachers, and Education International.
"Our communities owe much to those countless men and women who took up the vocation of teaching and opening doors for new generations. They opened the doors of opportunity for individuals and their societies. They opened the way to the world we know," the JTA added.
GROWING CHALLENGES
But there are growing challenges facing the teaching profession. United Nations estimates are showing that primary schools worldwide will need 35 million new teachers by 2015 and that schools are facing a teacher shortage based on increasing teacher migration owing to budget cutbacks in public service; chaotic working conditions; stress and burnout; retirement and the numbers of teachers who are dying from HIV/AIDS-related illnesses.
Without these teachers certain country goals such as achieving universal primary education and eradicating extreme poverty, for which education is important, will not be met, UNESCO and the United Nations Population Fund (UNDP) said in a joint statement to mark the day.
"This crisis, largely unnoticed, is often accompanied by public indifference stemming from an erroneous assumption that anybody who knows anything about children can teach, and that large numbers of people can always be found who can be quickly trained to teach," the UN said.
MINIMUM
REQUIREMENTS
It asked each community to consider the minimum requirements for a good teacher and ask education stakeholders involved in planning programmes for the academic year to think of what it would take, in the way of resource reallocation and public support, to make sure that this minimum standard of professionalism reaches all teachers and prospective teachers in their communities.
"We need teachers -- real teachers not substitutes. All our communities will benefit from investing in the quality of education by investing in the quality of our teachers. We must encourage and retain our teachers and attract new, dedicated people to be the door openers of the future," stressed Education International and the World Confederation of Teachers in a joint statement.
"We salute your courage, commitment and determination. Be assured that there is no substitute for your profession, which deserves the respect and support of everyone. Let there be no mistake: our future depends on it," the UN added.
