PAGBABAGO
The continuing exodus of teachers to greener pastures is causing another worrisome trend not only in the country but in other countries as well. To date, the Global Report on Teachers estimates that 68.8 million teachers will be needed to fill the global gap, 24.4 million of which are primary school teachers and 44.4 million, secondary teachers. The country will need 147,000 to address the shortage.
The flight of teachers to other countries and other occupations have been explained as the result of low salaries, large class size, better opportunities abroad, lack of support from government, and social inequalities, among others. All these indicate that teachers, compared with other professionals, are not given the regard and status befitting their key role in society.
The issue of status had been examined more seriously by Varkey Foundation which undertook the first global Teacher Status Index in 2013 with the aim of seeking answers to questions of status of teachers
Across all the 35 countries studied (the Philippines was not included among the eight Asia-Pacific countries), teachers occupied a mid-ranking status, with teachers in China and at the top, and Israel and Brazil at the bottom of the list. Five years later in 2018, the updated report showed that both high teacher pay and high status were found necessary in producing the best academic outcomes. Among the findings in the Asia-Pacific region were the following: China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Indonesia had greater respect for their teachers than the other European countries. Korean teachers received higher pay, housing allowance, flight reimbursements, health insurance, and paid vacation bonus, among others. Malaysian teachers were given larger bonuses and career programs that provided pathways to advance into leadership roles. Teacher quality was shown to be a most important factor in improving the educational system.
As many know, in comparison, teachers in our country are paid much less, have large class sizes, lack support from the government and work in an environment where social inequalities exist.
As a former high school teacher (I taught at Mapa High School for seven years after finishing a bachelor’s degree in education), may I add some observations. It appears that teacher shortage has always been with us since 1901 when Act No. 74 that established the public school system was enacted. This prompted the government to bring in 600 teachers from the United States. But, when I started teaching in 1952, we did not yet experience the impact of this shortage. But I stayed only for seven years as I did not see much prospect in staying much longer. The coping mechanism that some of us who felt that there was more outside the school system, was to take graduate courses and teach part-time in other schools after class hours. Those who stayed moved up to become administrators - principals, supervisors, or school superintendents. I took the path of changing course and the pursuit of a different career path.
One way to address the teacher exodus issue is to encourage teachers to teach for at least 10 to 15 years after which they move on to pursue another career. It should be planned ahead so that recruitment and preparation for succession can be arranged without much disruption or creating shortage concerns.
Too, the government can adopt models from Korea, Japan, or Singapore where teachers are given a higher status and the corresponding rewards that go with it. In other words, to focus on the Status of Teachers and adapt findings suggested by the Varkey Foundation Report.
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