TOWARDS LIFELONG EDUCATION FOR ALL — TEACHERS

1997 Fifth International Conference on Adult Education, devoting much time to discussing the continuous training of teachers, UIE, Hamburg, Germany 1997-1998 Preparation and dissemination of the first CD-ROM co-produced by UNESCO and Education International 1998 Publication of the World Education Report on the theme ‘Teachers and Teaching in a Changing World’

PERPETUATE THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION As underscored by the recent report of the Commission chaired by Jacques Delors, Learning: the Treasure Within, economic, social, cultural, scientific and technological development has evolved even more rapidly in latter years. Now, on the eve of the twenty-first century, the objective of lifelong education for all has become a priority. The need for qualified teachers and for educational and management staff has led the Organization to pursue activities to enhance the training of educational personnel. It is essential to take into account the challenges of the twenty-first century, in other words, qualitative needs linked to new content in formal and non-formal education at all levels, associated with problems of the environment, population, public health, culture, new information and communication technologies, and the new style of relationships between teachers and their social environment. In this respect, UNESCO increasingly needs to co-operate with public or private partners working in the field of education, especially the large-scale teachers’ associations, such as Education International. With the latter Organization UNESCO has jointly prepared and distributed instructional materials for teachers, using all available media, including the very newest, such as video, CD-ROM, and has created a joint Internet Web with the participation of IBM and the University of Nebraska. It was with this in mind that the theme chosen for the 45th session of the International Conference on Education in September/October 1996 was ‘Enhancing the Role of Teachers in a Changing World’. This meeting also marked the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Joint UNESCO-ILO Recommendation on the Status of Teachers, and advocated that co-operation in this domain with public and private sectors be strengthened in years to come, taking the utmost advantage of new information and communication technologies.

1980 - 1994: A MIXED PICTURE As education expands, so do the number of teachers and the amounts governments devote to this sector. Nonetheless, teachers salaries in many countries fell behind those of the rest of the population over the past fifteen years. Regional pictures, which can be read positively, also hide substantial national differences.
• More teachers everywhere, but although the numbers of primary teachers increased in all regions of the world between 1980 and 1994, growth was markedly slower than for the fifteen previous years.	• Falling teacher-pupil ratios from UNESCO Sources, September 1996

1996 45th SESSION OF ICE UNESCO-IBE, Geneva At Geneva, from 30 September to 5 October 1996, the 45th session of the International Conference on Education (ICE) discussed the role of teachers in a changing world, examining four major thematic issues: the new professional profile of teaching staff and im-provement of their social status; pre-service and in-service training of teachers and other educational personnel; new information technologies and the role and functions of teachers; the participation of teachers in the management of edu-cational change; partnership with other social actors. The principal objective of the ICE was the promotion of policies designed to strengthen teachers’ prestige and their participation in the process of educational change, and to help throw into question the current widespread scepticism regarding the capacity of teachers and other educational personnel to produce change within these systems. On this subject, the Conference noted with interest the analyses and proposals of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century. On 5 October 1996, the last day of the meeting, participants celebrated World Teachers’ Day and the Thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the UNESCO-ILO Recommendation on the status of teachers.	Mary Hatwood Futrell (United States) President of Education International since 1993 When the uncapped potential of a student meets the liberating art of a teacher, a miracle unfolds. A special relationship is born. The relationship of teacher and pupil defies definition. But it can leave an indelible imprint.[...] Many of us have had teachers who truly made a difference in our lives, who instilled in us the love of learning and the liberty that results from it. Speech given during celebrations of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Creation of UNESCO, Paris, 1995 Jacques Delors (France) Chairman of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century In any event, no reform can succeed without the co-operative and active participation of teachers. The Commission recommended that the social, cultural and material status of educators should be considered as a matter of priority, along with the tools required to deliver education of a high standard: books, modern communication media, and suitable cultural and economic support for the school. ‘Education for Tomorrow’, The UNESCO Courier, April 1996 Colin N. Power (Australia) Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO since 1989 Educationally sound curricula and good teachers will still be needed to do what machines cannot do: to guide learners through the oceans of information and packages now available; to promote the development of understanding and creativity in key subject areas; and above all, to facilitate ‘learning to be’ and ‘learning to live together’. Address to Eleventh Monographic Week, Foundation Santillana, Madrid, November 1996
TO KNOW MORE (see also CD-ROM, Vol. I)

                               

FOOTNOTES:

TO KNOW MORE (see also CD-ROM, Vol. I)

1. The Changing Role of the Teacher: International Perspectives. Norman M. Goble and James E. Porter, UNESCO-IBE, 1977. (IBE: Studies and Surveys in Comparative Education). (English, French, Spanish)
2. Lifelong Education and the Preparation of Educational Personnel. James Lynch, UNESCO-UIE. 1977. (UIE Monographs, No. 5). (Arabic, English, French, Spanish)
3. National Language and Teacher-Training in Africa: Methodological Guides. 1, 2 and 3. Joseph Poth, UNESCO, 1980-1987. (Education Studies and Documents Nos. 32, 47, 54). (English, French)
4. Senior Educational Personnel: New Functions and Training. Vol. 1: Overview (ESD, 52) and Vol.2: From Theory to Practice: Policy and Training Papers (ESD, 55). UNESCO, 1987-88. (English, French)
5. La gestion administrative et pédagogique des écoles. Guide pour les directeurs et directrices d’école. Jean Valérien, UNESCO/ACCT, 1991. (French)
6. World Directory of Teacher-training Institutions. UNESCO/International Council on Education for Teaching, 1993. (Trilingual: English/French/Spanish)
7. Increasing Teacher Effectiveness. Lorin W. Anderson, UNESCO-IIEP, 1994. (Fundamentals of Educational Planning, 39). (English, French)
8. Research Information for Teachers. UNESCO/PROAP, 1996. (Education in Action series). (English)
9. Teaching Against the Odds. EFA 2000 Bulletin, April-June 1996, No. 23. (English, French)
10. Learning: the Treasure Within. Report to UNESCO of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century, chaired by Jacques Delors, UNESCO, 1996. (English, French)