Renewing the teaching profession

The success of an educational system inevitably depends upon the judgement and ability of those who teach... It is in the classroom that the pupil experiences the educational process; if the interaction between teacher and child is not effective, even the most sound federal, state, or local policies will be useless. Reducing objectives for the schools and revamping the curriculum will improve public education only if teachers are of high quality.

Economically, too, teachers are the critical component of the system. About 85 per cent of all salaries in education go to teachers – 65 per cent of the total budget. To be productive and, in a sense, to invest public funds wisely, schools must recruit, retain, and reward corps of competent professionals, imbued with high standards of performance and capable of commanding the respect of their "clients" – their pupils, the parents, and the public.

In 1983 "declining teacher quality" suddenly became an issue for the American media. A number of negative trends affecting the profession are often mentioned; low pay, declining prestige, decreasing academic ability among the teachers themselves, poor working conditions and inadequate training are among the troubling complaints. Yet why so much concern now? After all, these problems, which result from an interrelated set of historical circumstances, have been building for years.

One reason for the present intense scrutiny of* the teaching profession is that trends in student enrolment are changing once again. After declining over the past decade, enrolment will increase by 2 million from 1985 to 1990. Moreover, from 1970 to 1982 very few new teachers were hired, so that the average teacher is older and is close to retirement**. In the 80s teaching will be one of the fastest growing professions. The student population is changing as well as growing; these new teachers will confront a higher proportion of pupils from disadvantaged*** and single-parent homes. By 1990 about two-thirds of the national student population will come from such households.

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* the present intense scrutiny of– (зд.) особо пристальное внимание сегодня к

** is close to retirement – скоро уйдут на пенсию, близки к пенсии

*** disadvantaged– (зд.) неблагополучный

There is an even more significant reason for looking closely at the teaching profession: fundamental changes in the labour market for teachers. Taken together the circumstances surrounding the work force in education compel a rethinking** of the very concept of the teaching process.