High number of untrained teachers a concern for Commonwealth

A high number of untrained teachers in some countries is a cause for serious concern, Commonwealth Secretariat’s Head of Education Dr Henry Kaluba said.

“Some Commonwealth countries have unacceptable numbers of untrained teachers in the education system, some as high as 50 per cent,” he told the opening ceremony of the World Teachers’ Day Conference 2006 held at Marlborough House on 5 October 2006.

Noting that teachers were under constant pressure to adapt and improve their performance, Dr Kaluba highlighted that demands on the profession have grown.

“Teachers are expected not only to possess core teaching skills, but also to adapt to new roles to be able to respond to unending new demands,” he said. 

Dr Kaluba said the recruitment and deployment of teachers in some countries had not kept pace with the expansion and changes in education systems. 

“Continuous professional development of teachers is often left to chance. A wide range of issues such as teacher protection and motivation of migrant teachers have to be addressed,” he said.

Underlining that information and communication technology (ICT) offers important new skills to teachers and adds a new dimension to their role, Dr Kaluba urged teachers to exploit ICT in education.

“The emergence of ICT has called on teachers to recognise its immense potential in providing new techniques and support systems in the teaching and learning process.”

Dr Kaluba reiterated the Commonwealth’s commitment to supporting member countries’ efforts in addressing these challenges and said it would continue to aid better development, management and support of teachers through its various initiatives. 

Themed ‘Optimising Commonwealth teacher potential’, the World Teachers’ Day Conference 2006 was organised as a tribute to teachers across the Commonwealth. It was addressed by Don McKinnon, Commonwealth Secretary-General; Judy Moorhouse, President, National Union of Teachers, UK; Ezekiah Oluoch, Deputy Secretary-General, Tanzania Teachers’ Union; Dorothy Forbin, President, Cameroon English Teachers’ Association and Ann Keeling, Director of the Secretariat’s Social Transformation Programmes Division, among others.

Key Links:

• Education
• World Teachers’ Day Conference Speech by Rt Hon Don McKinnon