Those who can do must teach: A new paradigm for teacher training in the GCC
by The Ideation Center
The earliest recorded version of the often-quoted phrase ‘those who can’t do, teach’ dates from 1903. Since this was coined, education has been at the forefront of governments’ policy-making and human capital development reforms. Yet, the general attitude across many geographies and cultures still persists that teaching is a career for those unable to succeed in more prestigious sectors. Indeed, much of the research and public discourse in the GCC clearly demonstrates that teaching is perceived as a low status occupation by nationals and that education entities struggle to attract top national talent.
When you ask some of the good veteran teachers about what they do for a living, the answer is almost always "By profession, I'm a teacher." This begs the question: "Is teaching a profession?" A profession is generally defined by several characteristics such as: Professional autonomy; a clearly defined and developed theoretical knowledge base; and the need for formal training, certification, and licensing of new entrants. A profession is also a self-governing and self-policing authority, especially with regard to professional ethics, and a commitment to public service.
Teaching has also been labeled as a "calling" — a path for those who value the imparting of knowledge as the noblest and most rewarding of pursuits. Teaching is not simply a career choice, but a lifelong commitment to edifying and inspiring young people.
Our view is that the two perspectives are not mutually exclusive. To fundamentally change teaching, both paradigms are needed. Indeed, teaching is a professional calling in that it requires a professional and pastoral dedication that goes well beyond classroom hours. Good teaching, and teachers, shape and motivate future generations of professionals, whose educational grounding contributes to a country’s social and economic success.
Education remains one of the GCC's critical challenges, showcased by poor student performance, lack of discipline and motivation, and high dropout rates. One factor exacerbating these challenges is the shortage of skilled teachers. This is coupled with an absence of focus on the root causes of this challenge, one among many is the lack of due attention to teacher training programs. Teaching is an integral national provision, and it is essential that GCC countries focus more strategically on recruiting the best people for the job, and on training these teachers to the highest standards.
In the GCC region, teaching does not attract top university graduates, in part because of the lack of pay incentives, but also because the craft of teaching is not adequately ‘professionalized’, neither to market itself to them, nor to produce a sufficiently competent body of qualified teachers. Investment in the quality of teacher training in the GCC region is not simply an investment in the teaching industry, but also in the standard of education for the future of the region. Policy emphasis on ‘professionalizing’ the industry and its pre-service training will not only elevate the status of teaching itself, but also improve the education of pre-tertiary students by proxy. This process of ‘professionalization’ should aim to recruit graduates who are personally committed to a career in teaching, through a rigorous selection process, and to equip these people with professional training to maximize their potential, and their in-service output.
Professionalizing the teaching industry to improve the status quo will require private sector participation. As private higher education becomes more common in the GCC, the opportunity grows for increased private teacher training. The private higher education sector should play a larger role in training teachers through collaboration between public institutions and global centers of excellence. The education landscape in the region is already showing a salient increase in private sector participation. This policy reform is underpinned by the belief that the private sector could offer a faster way to introduce change, provide more efficient and effective management, and increased competition which would drive quality improvements across the system.
Support for teacher training programs from private sector organizations is a vehicle for social and educational development, and successful models for such collaboration can be found in India, Lebanon, Australia, the US and the UK. Both the US and the UK have established tertiary teacher training programs which seek to elevate the status of the teaching profession, and which target improving standards of teaching within public sector schools. In response to challenges similar to those manifested in the GCC education landscape, both the US and the UK launched two successful initiatives: Teach for America and Teach First, respectively. Both initiatives rely heavily on attracting and selecting graduates from top universities, and have rigorous application requirements based on university scores and interview processes. These programs brand themselves as ‘leadership development’ schemes, and recruit graduates with the qualities to make positive changes to educational development both within and outside the classroom. Teach First’s relationship with its private sector partners (such as PwC, Deloitte, Google etc.) has raised the prestige of a career in teaching among high-achieving graduates, evidenced by its ranking as the 4th best graduate employer by the Times Top 100 list. Both programs have also contributed to alleviating education inequality through higher retention of students from low income communities and better student performance. For example, in the UK, only 28% of students from low income communities complete compulsory education successfully, and the private-public collaboration seeks to redress this social issue. In fact, Teach First, which started in 2003 with 46 schools, now operates across 173 schools in London, and many more countrywide. This model realizes positive impact on school students through identifying top quality graduates with a passion for teaching, leading, and developing professionally in order to drive pre-tertiary student achievement.
One way to achieve this goal in the GCC is via a partnership model with the private sector to attract top talent and inspiring leaders. When change in this sector is a priority for governments and policy-makers, it becomes a priority for big businesses, too.
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