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Module 5. 3 The Teacher and the Teaching Profession Beyond the ASEAN

The Teacher and the Teaching Profession Beyond the ASEAN

"Benchmarking is learning the best from the best practices of the worlds' best
educational systems."
There are three examples of countries beyond the ASEAN. These are China, Japan
and the United States of America. These countries were included as samples in the 2013
Global Teacher Status Index. Let us find out how their teaching profession practices are
similar to the ASEAN.

China
China being the most populous country has over 200 million students attending public
schools taught by over 9 million teachers in the elementary, junior and senior high schools.
Teachers in China form the largest teaching force in the world (Wang, 1996; Nanjundiah,
1996). The education system is highly centralized such that course syllabi are written by
scientists and professors hired by the National Educational Commission. The subject matter
and instructional contents are uniform for all. The first six years of school make up the
primary grades which are devoted to development of cognitive skills. This is followed by
another six years of high school. Class size ranges from 40 to 60 students and the students
have to cover all topics in order to pass national examinations.
Students wishing to attend university must pass one or the two versions of the
National University Entrance Examination. The quality and reputation of the school will
depend on the number of students passing the examination (Changbin, 1995; Kwang, 2000).
Education, one of the fundamental Chinese traditions, entered a new era of deep
transformation after 1949.Education was used as a vital tool for centralization and unification
of the country. The new educational system includes:
1) six years of primary education;
2) three years of junior middle school, three years of senior middle school.
3) six years of university; and,
4) varieties of technical and vocational schools.
The political and ideological orientation of teacher education is "to cultivate cultured
persons as teachers with lofty ideals, high morality, strong discipline, a sense of mission as
educators, engineers of the human soul and the gardeners of the nation's flowers" (Leung and
Hui, 2000).
There are two main categories of teachers in China, based on the source and structure
of their salary or pay. The first category is the gongban (state-paid) teachers who earn salary
comparable with other state employees in state-owned enterprises. The second category is the
minban (community-paid) teachers who are paid by local community depending on the
community income. State-paid teachers are categorized into grades according to their years of
service and their standard performance. The five grade system are as follows:
1) Super-grade teachers highest level which occupy the upper level of 5% of the teaching
force.
2) Senior-grade teachers occupy 6% of the teaching force in 1990 where most of the
primary level teachers belong.
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3) Third-grade teachers
4) Second-grade teachers include the majority of the secondary teachers.
5) First-grade teachers - some of the newly hired primary teachers.

China's Teacher Licensing

The examinations are standardized for the secondary teachers by the central
government, while examination for the elementary teachers are the responsibility of each
province. Generally, primary teachers should have at least graduated from secondary normal
schools or senior secondary schools while the junior secondary teachers should at least have
a teaching diploma from Junior teacher colleges. The senior secondary teachers shall graduate
from a normal university or teacher colleges and holder of degrees from tertiary institutions.

Chinese Teachers Enjoy Unquestionable Authority

The general assumption in the Chinese society is that the teacher tells the single and
absolute truth, and the job of the students is to absorb the knowledge conveyed by the teacher
without question. While some subjects like English or Mathematics provide opportunities to
practice, the structure of the lesson, their pace, and the nature of questioning is determined by
the teacher. It is a common experience of students to complete a 45-minute class period
without having talked once, or called individually or was able to raise a question. Students are
guided by the following tenets:
1) Important knowledge comes from teachers and textbooks.
2) Learning involves listening, thinking and silent practice.
3) Knowledge espoused by the teacher and the textbook is not to be challenged.

Because of the cultural uniqueness in delivering the lessons by the teachers, China
Ranked 1 in the Global Teacher Status Index, where teaching profession is regarded equal to
the doctor.

2. Japan
The Japanese education system is highly centralized and is administered by the
Mombusho or Ministry of Education. The school system from kindergarten through
university serves about 24 million students, with about ten percent (10%) going to the
university. About one-third go to the private schools and the rest are enrolled in the public
school system.
The Japanese educational system is sometimes seen as a model on how to operate
schools. The system gives us a mental picture of obedient, quiet school children sitting on
their desks, listening to the teacher and working hard to pass the various entrance
examinations.
In 2005, a book Japan in the 21st Century: Environment, Economy and Society states:
"Japan's educational system produces students who perform far better on international
examinations. Japanese students are indisputably among the best in the world in solving
mathematical equations... Youngsters are well-behaved, envied around as law-abiding;
Japan's low crime rates are well known and widely envied around the world. But what is
even more striking than the lack of crime is the overwhelming civility; graffiti and vandalism
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are rare and school sports teams not only bow to each other before the game but rush over to
the opposing team’s stand after the game to pay their respect." (The Japanese Educational
System www.bookiemice.net/darkchilde/japanljeduc.html)
In Japan, education is free and compulsory for children from 6 to 15 years. Classes are
large and teaching methods are usually lectures. Japanese students spend 243 days a year in
school. The school calendar is year-round with some breaks between sessions. Standard
curriculum includes Japanese language, social studies, math and science along with art,
music, home economics, physical education, with the greatest emphasis on learning the
Japanese language.
The Japanese educational system is divided into five basic levels: kindergarten,
elementary school (six years) lower secondary school (three years) upper secondary school
(three years) and university (usually around four years). Elementary school covers six years
of schooling from Grade 1 to Grade 6. Most of the teachers are females. Lower secondary
schools cover grade seven, eight and nine. Men compose two-thirds of the teachers in this
level. Class size average is 38 and the periods are fifty minutes long.
Upper secondary schools offer academic, technical and vocational programs. The first
year courses include the Japanese language, English, Science and Math. Vocational course
includes information processing, navigation, fish farming, ceramics and business English.
The upper secondary schools are ranked based on their success in placing graduating students
into prestigious universities.

The Teaching Profession in Japan

Japanese teachers are an essential element in the success story of the country. Major
responsibilities are entrusted upon the teachers for moral education and character
development and for instilling values, attitudes and living habits in students at all levels.
Teachers are expected to infuse cultural values throughout school activities including
student's lives, both in school or even at home and community.
Ever since teaching has been an attractive profession in terms of status. The appeal of
the teaching career has heightened because of increase in remuneration. According to the
Global Teacher Status Index in 2013, the average annual salary of teachers in Japanese is
equivalent to 43,775.00 annually, which is second to Singapore.
Teaching is one of few lifetime professional career opportunities readily available to
women in Japan. Ninety percent of the new teachers have four year college degrees with most
having majored in other areas than education. They fill up one third of the openings in the
elementary level, two thirds at the lower secondary level, and nearly nine-tenths at the upper
secondary level.

Teacher Certification in Japan

There are different legal requirements for certification to teach in the pre-school,
elementary school, lower secondary school and upper secondary school.

First class certificate is issued to teach in the preschool, elementary or secondary

teachers with basic qualification of having earned a Bachelor's Degree. To teach in the upper
secondary level, the basic qualification is a Master's degree.
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Second Class Certificate has a basic qualification of 2 years of study (62 credit units).
in a university or other post-secondary institutions. While to teach in the secondary level,
without a Master's degree, the Second Class Certificate will be issued.
In addition to the length of study and degree qualifications, prospective teachers must
earn a prescribed number of credits in education studies and in the subjects to be taught.

Becoming Employed as a Teacher

Most of the public school teachers are prefectural (in the Philippines, prefecture is like
a province) employees even if they teach in municipal schools. Prefectures play an important
role in the selection and hiring of teachers. In addition to completing a degree, the teacher
applicant must secure a license to teach from the prefectural board of education. A license
awarded by any prefecture is valid in all prefectures. However, applicant is required to take
prefectural appointment examinations.
A prefectural appointment examination is given in two stages. First stage, consists of
written tests in general education and specialized fields and skills test for P.E. Music and Art.
All applicants for lower secondary teaching jobs are required to take a test in physical fitness.
Second stage consists of interviews.
Age is a very important consideration for teacher applicants. More than one half of the
prefectures require applicants to be under the age of 30. But once the applicants gain entry to
the teaching profession, they are assured of lifetime employment. They are promoted
essentially on the basis of seniority, as in all public sector and most major private corporation
employment. Because of the lifetime employment policy, all prefectural and municipal boards
of education are very careful in selecting new teachers. Dismissals are extremely rare and
normally occur only for unethical conduct.
Teachers are rotated from one school to another within the prefecture on various
schedules.

3. United States of America

The American Educational System has greatly influenced the Philippine Educational
System specifically the making of the Filipino teacher. The coming of the first American
teachers called the Thomasites and the opening of the normal schools in different provinces
of the country provided a very strong foundation for teacher education.

Basic Education, the Avenue for Teaching Jobs in USA

The levels of education in the U.S. are similar to those in other countries including
the Philippines:
1) Pre-primary education - Type of school providing this education are kindergarten,
nursery schools, preschool programmes, child/ day care centers. Age level is 4-6 years
old and the duration is 2 years.
2) Primary education - elementary school
- There are varied levels of schooling in primary education.
3) Middle school education - Grades 4-6, 5-7, or 6-8.
4) Secondary education - high school – Grades 7-12 or 8-12
5) Junior high school. Grades 7-8, 7-9, or 8-
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6) Senior high school. Grades 9-12, or 10-12

Duration of compulsory education is from entry of 6 years old to exit of 18 years old.

Becoming a Professional Teacher in the USA

Pre-service students who are preparing to teach in any of the above grade levels have
to attend a college or a university for four years, major or minor in education and earn a
teaching certificate. It is possible to earn a teaching degree after graduation by taking
additional courses, post-baccalaureate or by entering a Master of Arts in Teaching program.
Earning Teaching Certificates. United States of America has a decentralized
educational system and each State Education Agency (SEA) has its own guidelines and
requirements for earning and maintaining a teaching certificate. A teaching certificate earned
in one state may or may not be recognized in another. There is an increasing practice
requiring that prospective teachers demonstrate some minimal level of competency by
passing a competency test before they are allowed to enter the profession. This examination is
the National Teacher Examination (NTE) or on Praxis I or Praxis II written test. Many states,
now require that teachers also renew their certification by continuing to take "renewal
credits." Permanent certification is granted if the teacher performs adequately according to the
standards established by the state.
Recruitment of Teachers. After following the successful completion of an application
process, a superintendent approves the applicant and then forwards a recommendation to hire
to the local school board. Once signed, a teacher has a legally binding contract to work,
unless guilty of a crime, fails to show teaching competency, or demonstrates egregious
(outstandingly bad) professional conduct. He/She is expected to complete teaching during the
term of his/her contract, with exception for pregnancy, medical leaves and unforeseen
emergencies.
Salaries of Teachers. The salary range for teachers is determined by education and
experience as by locale. Teachers who have earned "masters plus 30 doctorate units" earn
more than those with master's degrees, while teachers with master's degrees receive a higher
salary than the bachelor's degree holder. Merit pay has been adopted by some school districts,
those who teach in sub-urban school districts or large towns typically earn more than teachers
in either urban or rural districts.
Some teachers work at another job during the school year or summer. On the average
according to the Global Teacher Status report, the average annual income of teachers is
$44,917.00 (Php 2, 156,016.00).
What Makes a Good American Teacher? The definition of a "good" teacher slightly
differs among levels. Those working in elementary schools seemed more child-focused in
their discussions and believed that a good teacher is a kind person, one who is
"understanding" and "sensitive to the needs of children." The secondary school teachers
generally consider themselves subject-matter specialists. Good teachers have to know how
to teach their subjects. It is a plus if students like a teacher. Some feel that having a sense of
humor and an ability to handle a class increased the likelihood that students would learn, but
the teacher's primary responsibility is to teach. Middle school teachers pointed out that many
schools are changing from junior high to a middle school model because young adolescents
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still need the support of the family. The middle school teachers, therefore, as a team should be
able to give more personal attention to middle school learners.

Learning Activity: Form groups of 5 and make a comparison of the educational system
and teacher education programs in some of the countries included in the notes by
completing the table below. Feel free to add a column if there are areas that you want to
include. Submit this output using the link that is presented at the end of the module.

The Teacher and the Teaching Profession Beyond the ASEAN

Countries Special Educational Political Categories Teaching Teacher’s
Features System and of Licensing Authority
Ideological Teachers
Orientatio
n of
Teacher
Education
China
Japan
United
States of
America

Question: Which among the countries we have studied would you to choose to go to and
teach, if you are given a chance?

E. The Global Teacher Status Index of 2013

In 2013, the Varkey GEMS Foundation. A non-profit organization registered with the
Charity Commission for England and Wales conducted the first ever Global Teacher Status
Index. The study polled 21 countries all over the world that include: Brazil; China; Czech
Republic; Egypt; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Israel; Italy; Japan; the Netherlands;
New Zealand; Portugal; Turkey; Singapore; South Korea; Spain; Switzerland; United
Kingdom; and United States of America. These countries were chosen on their performance
in PISA and TIMMSS to represent in major continents of the world.
The index determined the level of respect afforded the teachers in the specific country.
The data included profile of teacher respect; teaching as sought after profession;
contextualized understanding of teacher status; and views on pupils respect for teachers.
China South Korea, Turkey, Egypt and Greece respect their teachers more than other
European and Anglo Saxon countries, while Israel and Brazil featured at the lower end of the
Teacher Global Index. This is shown in Table 3 below.
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Table 3. Global Teacher Status Index, 2013

Country Index Rank Country Index Rank

Ratin Rating
g

China 100 1 Spain 30.7 12

Greece 73.7 2 Finland 28.9 13

Turkey 68.0 3 Portugal 26.0 14

South Korea 62.0 4 Switzerland 23.8 15

New Zealand 54.0 5 Germany 21.6 16

Egypt 49.3 6 Japan 16.2 17

Singapore 46.3 7 Italy 13.0 18

Netherlands 40.3 8 Czec Republic 12.1 19

USA 38.4 9 Brazil 2.4 20

UK 36.7 10 Israel 2.0 21

France 32.3 11

Some of the key questions asked in the survey were:

1. How are teachers respected in relation to other professions?
2. What is the social standing of teachers?
3. Will parents encourage their children to be teachers?
4. Is it perceived that children respect their teachers?
5. What people think teachers ought to be paid?
6. Should teachers be paid according to the performance of their pupils?
7. How much are teachers trusted to deliver a good education to children?
8. What is the degree of trust that people have on their education system?

Answers to the above questions were collated and clustered in three sections which are
Teacher Status, Perception of Teacher Reward and Teacher Agency and Control.

Teacher Status
Social Status of Teachers. Contextual understanding of the teachers’ status was done by
ranking teaching along-side other professions in the country.
Two thirds of the countries judged the status of teachers to be most similar to social
workers (Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands). The second closest status
was to librarians (USA, Brazil, France, Turkey) and in New Zealand, people think that the job
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of teaching is most similar to nursing. Only one country (China) think of teachers as being
most closely compared to doctors. The result seems to show the type of work the teachers do
in the different parts of the world.
However, to determine the social standing of the teaching profession in the order of
how they are respected, the results show that: There is a higher regard of teachers in the
primary elementary school teachers than in the secondary school teachers, and head
teachers against 14 other occupations included.

Teaching: Sought-After Profession. When parents were asked if they would encourage their
children to become teachers, the summarized answers are as follows: 50% of parents in
China provide positive encouragement for children to become teachers. China is joined by
South Korea, Turkey and Egypt while parents in Israel, Portugal, Brazil and Japan are least
likely to encourage their children to become teachers.

Pupil Respect for Teachers. Parents were asked to respond whether they believed that
teachers are respected by their pupils.
In China, 75% of the respondents believe that students respect their teachers,
compared to only 27% average per country
Turkey, Egypt, and Singapore have a high level of belief that pupils respect teachers
with an average of 46%.
Across Europe, there are higher levels of pessimism about students' respect for
teachers than in Asia and the Middle East. In most of the European countries, respondents
thought that the pupils disrespect teachers than respect them.

Perception of Teacher Reward

Below, is the average actual teacher salary in the countries surveyed. The respondents
were asked if the current salary is too little, too much or just enough.

Participating Actual Average Participating Actual Average Salary

Country Salary per Year in Country per Year in USD $
USD $

China $17,730.00 Spain $29,475.00

Greece $23,341.00 Finland $28,780.00

Turkey $25,378.00 Portugal $23,614.00

South Korea S43,874.00 Switzerland $39,326.00

New Zealand $28,438.00 Germany $42,254.00

Egypt S10,604.00 Japan $43,775.00

Singapore $45,755.00 Italy $28,603.00

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Netherlands $37,218.00 Czec Republic $19,953.00

USA $44,917.00 Brazil $18,550.00

UK $33,377.00 Israel $32,447.00

France $28,828.00 Nothing follows

Most countries judged a fair rate of pay as similar to a teacher's actual pay. In Japan,
France and USA, the actual pay was judged higher than the fair rate of salary. Majority of the
countries think teachers ought to be rewarded with higher pay than what they are presently
getting.

Performance-Related Pay. Most countries believed that teachers’ salary should be based on
the achieved student learning outcomes. The performance related pay (PRP) should be used
according to performance. In all the 21 countries, more than 59% of people think Teachers
ought to be paid according to the performance of their pupils. The average across countries
was 75%.

3. Teacher Agency and Control

The status of the teacher is also dependent on the people's trust to deliver good
education.
Trusting Teachers To Deliver Education. Based on the results of the survey:
 No country gave a rating below 5, suggesting that all countries placed satisfactory to
positive trust in their teachers.
 Finland and Brazil at the top of the table displaying strong trust in their teachers,
while Israel, Japan. South Korea and Egypt are at the bottom of the table, showing
limited trust for their teachers.

Peter Dolton, Professor of Economics at Sussex University, one of the writers of the
2013 Global Teacher Status Index said:
"We find that there are major differences across countries in the way teachers are
perceived by the public. This informs who decides to become a teacher in each country, how
they are respected and how they are financially rewarded. Ultimately, this affects the kind of
job they do in teaching our children."

Learning Activities: Continue to work together as a group for this activity.

1) Following the results of the Global Teacher Index, interview five (5) non-teaching
professional (that means that each member of the group should have one (1)
interviewee each) and ask them these questions:
2.1 How are teachers respected compared to other professionals? To which profession
can you compare teaching in terms of the respect that the general public give?
2.2 As a parent, would you encourage your children to become teachers?
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2.3 In a scale of 1 to 10, with ten being the highest, how would you rate the level of
respect that children give to their teachers?
2.4 In your own opinion, are teachers well-compensated in terms of their salaries?
Why?
2.5 Should teachers be paid according to the performance of their students? Why?
2.6 Do you think that teachers are good in teaching their students?
2.7 Do you believe that teachers are important in effecting change in our society?

Collate the answers of your interviewees and submit the results later.

2) Answer the following questions based on the GTS Index Report.

What message do these data convey:

1) 2/3 of the countries judged the professional status of teachers most similar to social
workers? Explain your answer.
2) In most European countries, more respondents believe that pupils disrespected
teachers than respected them. Is this situation true to the Philippine setting? Yes? No?
Explain your answer.
3) Fifty percent of parents in China would encourage their children to become teachers.
Would you do the same thing to your younger sister or brother? Why? Why not?
4) Do you agree with the survey results that teachers should be paid according to student
performance? If yes, why? If no, why not?
5) Teachers in the 21 countries surveyed have positive trust ratings, do you think that
Filipino teachers are also trusted?

Please submit your learning activities in this Module using this link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1TeKeETMa-
Gh6d6L_u3eF19Flv431bHV_o6rjvzSEXGc/edit.

PROJECT FOR THE FINAL TERM (GROUP PROJECT):

Form groups of ten (10) and do this project for the Final Term. After learning about
the Global Teacher Status Index of 2013, read about the Global Teacher Status Index of 2018
and 2021. Make a comparison table about five (5) major issues presented in the report and
give their implication to our situation here in the Philippines. You may use this table for the
comparison.

Major Issues GTSI (2013) GTSI (2018) GTSI (2021)

1
2
3
4
5
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Implications to Teacher Education in the Philippines:

You may use these links for the GTSI Reports:
https://www.varkeyfoundation.org/media/4867/gts-index-13-11-2018.pdf
https://issuu.com/educationinternational/docs/
2021_ei_research_statusofteachers_eng_final/s/13583660