“Evaluating and Promoting the Position and the Status of Teachers in the IR of Iran

Final Report: Expert Meeting on “Evaluating and Promoting the Position and the Status of Teachers in the IR of Iran: Challenges and Opportunities” 5 October 2016 Tehran, IR of Iran

On 5 October 2016, the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO hosted an expert meeting of the above title, in cooperation with the UNESCO Chair for Teachers as Lifelong Learners, on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day (2016) The meeting was host to teachers, scholars, heads of national teachers’ coalitions, and Pedagogics experts. The meeting comprised an opening, expert roundtable and a closing ceremony.

The speakers of the Opening included Dr Sadollah Nasiri Gheydari (Secretary General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO), Ms Anne Therese Manuson (Education Consultant, UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office), Dr Mahmoud Mehr Mohammadi (Chancellor of Farhangiyan University and Chair-holder of the UNESCO Chair for Teachers as Lifelong Learners), Mr Esfandiyar Chaharband (Director General for Human Resources Planning of the Ministry of Education), Dr Hamidreza Azemati (Chancellor, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University), Dr Golnar Mehran (Professor at Al-Zahra university), and Dr Mohadesseh Mohebhosseini (Head of the Education Department of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO). The message of the Minister of Education was read by Dr Kachooiyan.

The meeting initiated with the recitation of the holy Qur’an followed by the national anthem of the IR of Iran.

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The first speaker was Dr Nasiri, who initially welcomed the participants and spoke about the importance of education and the status of teachers, drawing on some verses of the holy Qur’an. He said, “the material world is constantly changing and developing, this change and development is also part of our spiritual world. Worldviews and thinking are improving by the day and any change requires education. The advancements we see in our living world today, indicate that lifelong learning is underway and the actors of this learning are the teachers”. For this, “it is important to pay close attention to the position and the status of teachers. This is not only limited to their human dignity, but their livelihoods as well. Teachers whose livelihoods are not sustained are naturally not mentally concentrated on their jobs”, said Dr Nasisri. He continued by explaining that this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers, which is considered the first tool for evaluating teachers’ status. “In this view and considering the valuable role of teachers in creating a better future for the society and from a larger dimension, for the whole world, it is necessary to pay special attention to the dignity, status and livelihood of teachers as well as their selection criteria, enabling selection of teachers required for building active knowledge societies”.

Ms Anne Therese Manuson was the second speaker. She read the message of Mrs Esther Kuisch-Laroche, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office. She initially spoke about the important status of teachers and the “limitless contributions made by teachers around the world”. She continued by explaining that in order “to achieve universal primary education by 2030, we need 24.4 million more teachers. The number is even greater for secondary education with 44.4 million secondary school teachers needed”, said Ms Manuson. She then continued by referring to the importance of providing teachers with continuing learning and development, compensating them properly and giving them the tools they need to do their indispensable jobs, to support them in their critical role of educating all children. “Fifty years ago today, these principles were laid down in the landmark 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which resulted in the first international standard-setting instrument on teachers”, explained the speaker.

Dr Mehrmohammadi was the next to take the floor. He began by paying tribute to Dr Gholamhossein Shokoohi, as a most influential character in Iranian Pedagogics. “The new and important thing that is taking place in teacher training is the emergence of a new discourse on teacher training and the fact that teacher training is considered as a new area for discussion. This means that an important requirement of the society for which many investments are already made in is now improving from practice to practicality”, said the speaker. There is now theoretical support for teacher training, which is considered a landmark in this area of sciences and is very much linked with the Farhangiyan University. The Chancellor of the Farhangiyan University then added, “the reasons for the emergence of this new dialogue are the activities that are currently undertaken at the Farhangiyan University: 1. Undertaking various research projects, especially for doctoral degrees; 2. Establishing special teacher training research institutes; 3. Producing specialised journals; 4. Publishing books on teacher training; 5. Establishing NGOs for teacher training; 6. Planning for curriculum development and establishing specialised departments at the Farhangiyan University; 7. Promoting national and international cooperation; 8. and establishing the UNESCO Chair for teachers as lifelong learners”.

At this stage, Dr Kachooiyan read the full message of the Iranian Minister of Education on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day (For full text of speech see here).

The next speaker was Mr Esfandiyar Chaharband. He empahsised the important role of teachers in quality improvement and called for greater national and international attention to be paid to teachers. He then referred to the Fundamental Reform Document of Education of the Iranian Ministry of Education, which clearly offers guidelines for improving the status of teachers by enhancing their quality of life and work. “The document clearly emphasises the need to promote teachers in view of the level of effectiveness of their teaching work and to rank them thereupon”, he said. He enumerated the following as the challenges confronted by the Ministry in implementing the National Fundamental Reform Document of Education as follows:

1. Rapid social advancements that threaten the status of teachers;
2. Lack of coordination among teachers’ expectations and the socio-economic realities of the society;
3. The inappropriateness of some programmes for pooling financial and technical resources to improve the quality of living and professional lives of teachers;
4. Inappropriate skills of teachers for using modern educational technologies; and
5. The ineffectiveness of the teacher training system for in-service training of teachers.

It is necessary to discuss these challenges and to find solutions to them and to entrust different national entities with different responsibilities to achieve the goals of the strategic Fundamental Reform Document of Education.

Dr Azemati was the next speaker. He highlighted the status of technical and vocational education in the formal and non-formal educational system of Iran and explained the activities of Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University. He said, “the Teacher Training University has prepared a strategic guideline, which highlights the scientific status of the University in the area of technical and vocational education. The guideline focuses on training key personnel at country, regional and international levels. Additionally, the University’s membership in UNEVOC is itself proof of the initiation of international cooperation and discussions on technical and vocational education. The Chancellor of Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University then spoke about the place of teachers in religious, cultural and civilisational teachings, adding “technical and vocational education is intertwined with creativity. Creativity is a mental power that exists from birth. However, it fades throughout life due to certain variables. Education, however, stops the diminishing of creativity”. He then spoke about economic challenges and named education and the training of effective human resources as one of the important ways to overcome these problems.

Dr Azemati was the next speaker. He highlighted the status of technical and vocational education in the formal and non-formal educational system of Iran and explained the activities of Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University. He said, “the Teacher Training University has prepared a strategic guideline, which highlights the scientific status of the University in the area of technical and vocational education. The guideline focuses on training key personnel at country, regional and international levels. Additionally, the University’s membership in UNEVOC is itself proof of the initiation of international cooperation and discussions on technical and vocational education. The Chancellor of Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University then spoke about the place of teachers in religious, cultural and civilisational teachings, adding “technical and vocational education is intertwined with creativity. Creativity is a mental power that exists from birth. However, it fades throughout life due to certain variables. Education, however, stops the diminishing of creativity”. He then spoke about economic challenges and named education and the training of effective human resources as one of the important ways to overcome these problems.

 

The next speaker was Mrs (Dr.) Mehran. She emphasised the need for greater attention to be paid to teachers and the need for elevating their status and then briefed the session on the different teacher training methods: “there exist two main methods for teacher training: 1. Creativity-based method; 2. Humanistic method. The first method focuses on the skills a teacher needs to have, while the second sees the teacher as a human and focuses on the teacher’s human dignity and character. There exists a third method in addition to these two methods as well. This third method is known as the onion method. In this method, the teacher is considered as the centre of the onion. The training begins from the outer layers and moves through to reach the inner layers. The first layer in this method is the teacher’s surrounding environment that consists of the classroom, school pupils and the school. The second layer that is influenced by the classroom and the teaching environment is the teacher’s behaviour. The teacher’s competency is the third of the onion layers. This layer includes knowledge of subject matter (theoretical knowledge), teaching and knowledge transfer skills and the teacher’s attitudes. The fourth layer comprises the teacher’s beliefs that include the teacher’s belief in herself/himself, the school pupils, the teaching-learning process and the educational system. The teacher’s identity is the fifth layer of the onion that relates to a human’s role as a teacher and encompasses a differentiation between a teacher’s individual and professional identity. The teacher’s mission is the sixth layer. This layer deals with spiritual questions, including: why was I created? What is my mission in life? What is my mission as a teacher? And the last and final layer, the seven layer, is the teacher”.

Mrs (Dr.) Mohebhosseini was the last speaker of this session. She began by explaining the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, emphasising SDG4 (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all) as the most important of the 17 SDGs since “this goal is essential for achieving goals 3 (ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages), 5 (achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls), and 8 (promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all). She then briefed the audience on the Education 2030 Framework for Action document, saying “the Education 2030 Framework for Action was adopted at the 38^th session of the UNESCO General Conference in November 2016 in Paris, at UNESCO Headquarters, with the presence of ministers and representatives of 184 UNESCO Member States”. She then introduced the vision and rationale of the Education 2030 Framework for Action as follows:

1. Education is at the heart of the Sustainable Development Agenda;
2. Focus on inclusion and equity – giving everyone an equal opportunity, and leaving no one behind;
3. Accountability of education systems to the rapidly-changing labour market, technological advances, urbanisation, migration, political instability, environmental degradation, competition for natural resources, demographic challenges, rising unemployment, persistent poverty and widening inequalities, and expanding threats to peace and safety.

She then explained the 7 targets of SDG4 as follows:

4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes;

4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education;

4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university;

4.4: By 2030, increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship;

4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations;

4.6: By 2030, ensure that all youth and adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy;

4.7: By 2030, ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

After explaining the strategic objectives of education 2030, the speaker referred to teachers as one of the key and most effective elements in achieving the goals of education 2030, including:

1. Effective learning environments: creating and updating educational materials, equipment and facilities;
2. Fellowships: increasing the number of fellowships allocated to least developed countries, developing countries and Small Island Developing States (SIDs) and African countries;
3. Teachers and educators: recruiting competent teachers through expanded international cooperation in teacher training in developing countries, with emphasis on least developed countries and the SIDs, by 2030.

Dr Mohebhosseini continued by quoting UNESCO on statistics related to lack of teachers in the world, “by 2030, we would be needing an additional 3.3 million more teachers, whereas this amount had been 1.6 million by 2015”, she said.

She concluded by enumerating nine key aspects to be taken into account by teacher training systems in different countries to achieve the Education 2030 goals:

1. Teacher recruitment and retention;
2. Teacher education (initial and continuing);
3. Deployment;
4. Career structures/paths;
5. Teacher employment and working conditions;
6. Teacher standards;
7. Teacher reward and remuneration;
8. Teacher accountability;
9. School governance.

She said “the main challenges of teaching and teachers in the world are over-populated classrooms, insufficient training of teachers, unreliable contracts with teachers and insufficient salaries”.

Following the Opening, an expert roundtable on “Promoting the Status of Techers in Iran” was held with the presence of the heads of teachers’ coalitions and associations, comprising Messrs Shaybani Asl (Head of The Scientific and Educational Association of Physics’ Teachers of Tehran), Dr Kamali Nahad (Secretary, Scientific Association of Iran’s Persian Language and Literature Teachers and Head of the Strategic Secretariat for Persian Language and Literature of Iran), and Dr Sadr (Secretary, Tehran’s Mathematics Teachers’ Association).

Mr Shaybani Asl initially commended the status of the teacher and said “teachers are the depositories of the pen and the candles of creation. Commending teachers is commending an elevated culture and paying tribute to the bearers of the torch of knowledge. No other job is replaceable with the teaching profession since they help elevate the thinking of a society. The educational system of Iran now needs a qualitative and quantitative reform and the elements of this reform are teachers and the need to pay attention to the status of teachers”.  Mr Shaybani then added that the Scientific and Educational Association of Physics’ Teachers of Tehran works in cooperation with the Farhangiyan University and seeks to enhance and improve the status of teachers, as part of its mission”.

The next speaker was Mr Kamali Nahad. He said, “in order to elevate the social, human and cultural status of teachers, it is necessary to initially define the concepts of good position, value, rank, and good status. Once this is done, planning will lead to more desirable results”. He then added that in order to improve the status of teachers, we can define four areas of activity. The first of these four areas is paying attention to parts of the Fundamental Reform Document of Education that focus on the status of teachers. The second activity is to involve the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) and the media in awareness raising activities on the role and importance of teachers. Organising festivals and competitions stands third, followed by creating a culture of respect for teachers and their profession as the fourth and most important activity”. Additionally, “track teachers in different fields of work and sciences can be awarded certificates publically and the three legislative, judiciary and executive powers must also work together to improve the status of teachers”, said the speaker.

Dr Sadr was the last speaker of this section. He enumerated the challenges and obstacles to improving the status of teachers in Iran, saying “an obstacle to this issue is the lack of attention paid to the status of teachers at Ministry of Education. It is upon the Ministry of Education to see the teaching profession as an art, since teachers are armed with the art of human-building. A second challenge is providing the means for sustaining and keeping teachers in their profession”. No in-service teacher training programmes, teachers’ lack of knowledge of ICTs, no attention paid to teacher associations, lack of a comprehensive programme for teacher training and the constant change of existing programmes with any change in the managerial system of the Ministry of Education, as well as a lack of attention to pioneering teachers and not considering certain topics for university entrance exams, were also named by the speaker as challenges in elevating the status of teachers in the Iranian society