Teachers

• © UNESCO
• Profesora en escuela chilena

There is evidence that the teacher issue has received little attention, even from their own practitioners and organisations, as it has been limited to salary demands or to the provision of training on educational programmes and projects, not always with successful outcomes.

Strengthening teachers’ involvement in educational change, with a view to fulfilling Education for All (EFA) goals, is one of the areas of focus of the Regional Education Project for Latin America and the Caribbean (PRELAC). This requires a clear understanding of the complex nature of the teacher issue and the multiple factors affecting teachers’ performance which, in turn, have a direct bearing on student performance.
From this perspective, OREALC/UNESCO Santiago advocates a wider understanding of the teacher issue that incorporates the human and professional development dimension, and takes into account: the formulation of comprehensive policies; social recognition of the teaching profession; on-going training across all educational levels; the teaching career; salary policies; performance evaluation; and human and cultural development programmes, among others.