Lesson 2 will describe the teacher professionals Les in the ASEAN and beyond.

It will also discuss the current situation, circumstances, teaching work place,
qualifications, career pathways, benefits and other factors that influence quality
education. This lesson will provide a clear landscape of how it is to be a teacher
here and abroad. The lesson will focus on the teachers in the 10 member states
of the ASEAN: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Teaching as a profession will be the focus of this lesson to provide a clear view
of professional practices for purposes of comparison and development of mutual
respect among countries.

Furthermore, excerpts from the first Global Teacher Status Index shall be
included in this lesson to provide a global picture on the world's respect for and
trust in teachers and the profession.

THE ASEAN: ONE VISION, ONE IDENTITY, ONE COMMUNITY

Let us now look closely at the teaching profession and professional of the ten
ASEAN member countries as a whole.

A. The Levels of Schooling as a Teaching Meliu

In all the countries, in the ASEAN, the levels of formal schooling in the
educational system are as follows.

1. Primary level is composed usually of Pre-primary (Play-school, Pre-K,

Kindergarten) and the Primary Level which is composed of Grade 1 aged 6 yrs.
old; Grade 2 aged 7 yrs. old, Grade 3, aged 8 yrs. old; Grade 4 aged 9 yrs.,
Grade 5 aged 10 yrs. old, and Grade 6 aged 11 yrs. old.

In the Philippines, the label primary level refers to elementary level. The
elementary level has two sub levels, the primary grades which include
Kindergarten to Grade 4 and the intermediate grades which include Grade 5 and
Grade 6.

2. Secondary level follows the primary level. Generally across the ASEAN it is
composed of Junior High School and the Senior High School. The graduate from
the senior high school can proceed to college or find a job appropriate to the
qualification. However, there are slight variations in some countries such as
Lower Secondary level is three years with Grades 7, 8 and 9 while the Upper
Secondary level is composed of Grades 10, 11 and 12.

In the Philippines, the Junior High School is composed of Grades 7, 8, 9, 10

while Grades 11 and 12. belong to the Senior High school.

In summary, basic education levels in most ASEAN countries have 12 years of

formal schooling, divided into primary, lower secondary and upper secondary
levels. All primary education levels are compulsory, while in some countries the
secondary level is voluntary except the Philippines. In Singapore, the last two
year levels are pre-university levels. For the secondary level, there is a variation
of 5, 6 or 7 years which are either labeled as middle school, junior high school,
senior high school or lower or upper secondary level. There is universal
kindergarten and pre-school education for all. The number of years in the primary
is from 5 to 6 years.

The basic education levels of Elementary/Primary and the Secondary levels will
provide the future jobs of teacher education pre-service graduates.

3. Tertiary level is the college level which is beyond the basic education in all
the countries in the ASEAN. It is the ladder of educational system where the
student earns a bachelor's degree in teacher education, which is a requirement
to take a licensure examination to become a professional teacher.

In the Philippines, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority

(TESDA) provides diploma and training certificates for lifelong learning. The
agency also assists in the implementation of the senior high school technical-
vocational tracks.

The pre-service teacher gets appropriate qualification degree in the tertiary level
in order to teach in either the elementary or secondary levels of the education
system in either the public or private school in a particular country. In addition to
the degree, most countries have specific recruitment policies and guidelines.
courses in real class situation.

ASEAN countries have comparable academic teacher education preparations,

however there are those who have gone beyond their borders, while others are
still strengthening their programs. Differences are according to the context and
needs and the education system of the particular member country, their history
culture and aspirations. Here are some commonalities in the teacher preparation.

2. Components of Teacher Preparation

Qualified, professionally trained, motivated and well supported teachers are the
key to quality education. The future teacher academic preparations should be
responsive to this call. Common to all the ASEAN countries, are four important
components which are being addressed in the preparation of teachers!:

1. General knowledge and understanding - This cluster of knowledge and

understanding are embedded in the general education or liberal arts education
subjects in college as preparatory to the core content subjects in the professional
education. The cluster of subjects in the liberal education provides the
development of the person-hood of the future teacher. (What to Know about
Oneself and World.)

2. Pedagogy - This component provides variety of teaching delivery approaches

beyond the traditional methods of teaching. The more innovative methods
including student-centered approaches, cooperative learning, project-based
learning and many more based on international values to enhance, peace
education, sustainable development, respect for diversity, inclusive education,
and global citizenship. Pedagogical theories and principles are also included.
(How to Teach).

3. Teaching Practicum/Experiential Learning - In this cluster, knowledge,

theories, principles and pedagogies learned are validated in real life situation as
teachers. In all ASEAN countries, teaching practicum and experiential learning
are required as a component of training or for certification to teach.

(Immersion to the real world of teaching/Practicum Teaching Internship)

4. Specialized knowledge/ Major courses - For those who will teach the
content or discipline in the upper elementary or the secondary levels, major
content courses are learned For the early years (pre-school to Grade 3, a more
comprehensive knowledge of child growth and development is given emphasis.
(What to teach in specific discipline or subject area)

The Common degree titles include Bachelor of Education (BEd), Bachelor of

Elementary Education (BEED), Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSEd), and
Diploma in Education either Pre-baccalaureate/ Post Graduate (PGDip). There
are variations from country to country.
Several standards and competencies were developed as a guide for all teachers
some of which will be discussed in detail in the succeeding lesson. But the most
common are standards that revolvearound or anchor on the following domains:

1. Skills in the 21st Century

2. Professionalism and accountability

3.Pedagogical competence

4. Teacher's characteristics/ qualities

5. Knowledge competence

C. The Teaching Profession Practices in the ASEAN

1. Teacher's Major Responsibilities

There are three major responsibilities of professional teachers across the

different countries. These are (1) Actual teaching, (2) Management of learning
and (3) Administrative work. All these responsibilities have to be carried out in
the teaching hours required which is 6-8 hours per day, 40-45 hours per week, 4
weeks per month and 10 months per year. In between the teaching days, are
holidays specific to the country which may either be civic holiday or religious
holidays.

Actual Teaching - refers to the time of engagement of the teacher with the
learners. This happens within the official teaching hours. The actual teaching
hours vary from country to country and from school to school. Sometimes actual
teaching refers to contact time or time on task.

Management of Learning - refers to activities that support the actual teaching.

This can be beyond actual teaching time like remediation or enhancement,
homework, or co-curricular activities.

Administrative work - refers to the teachers' job that includes writing test items,
checking and recording of test paper results, attending to parents, making reports
and other related activities.

With all the responsibilities that the teacher is required to do, the salary of the
teacher varies across the different countries. In the ASEAN teacher's salary
ranges from as low as USD 120.50 to as high as USD 2,589.00 per month or
even higher as in the case of Singapore which is around $45,755.00 per year
according to the Global Teacher Status Index Report. Salary is based on
qualification, teaching experiences and level or grade assigned. Teaching in the
public schools will also have a different salary scale. In some countries, there are
fringe benefits provided like hardship pay, maternity pay and other bonuses.

In the primary level, teachers handle more than one specialized subject. In fact in
some countries including the Philippines, all the subjects in the grade level is
taught by one teacher in a self-contained classroom. In some cases, team
teaching is practiced either vertically or horizontally. In the vertical team teaching,
for example Elementary Science will be taught by one science teacher from
Grade 1 to Grade 6, while for the horizontal team teaching, science will be taught
by one teacher in one level with different sections or groups. On the other hand,
in the secondary level, the teacher teaches the specific subject area or major
area in the same level or in different grade levels, too.

2. Teacher Licensing and Recruitment

Most teachers are licensed as professionals or are certified to teach by the

country's appropriate agencies. Those who are not certified or licensed become
para professionals or assistant teacher. In the Philippines, it is the Professional
Regulation Commission (PRC) while in Singapore it is the National
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Institute for Education (NIE). In Thailand, it is the Teacher Education Council
(Khurusapha) that gives a licensure test for teacher applicants while in Indonesia,
Akta IV teacher license is given by the teacher colleges for an authority to teach.
In other countries where no licensing is provided, certification is issued instead.
This is done by the Ministry of Education or the teacher education colleges or
universities.

Teacher recruitment process and qualifications are guided by the Ministry of

Education for the public schools and the individual private schools under the
guidance and policies of each country's ministry.

D. 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

1. 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 of 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:

six years of primary education. three years of junior middle school, three years of
senior middle school. six years of university. 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 flows:
Super-grade teachers - highest level which occupy the upper level of 5% of the
teaching force.

Senior-grade teachers occupy 6% of the teaching force in 1990 where most of

the primary level teachers belong.

Third-grade teachers

Second-grade teachers include the majority secondary teachers.

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 school 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:

*Important knowledge comes from teachers and textbooks.

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*Learning involves listening, thinking and silent practice

*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. This will further be explained in the next section
of the lesson.

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 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/japan/jeduc 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 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.

Second Class Certificate has a basic qualification of 2 years of study (62 credit
units) in a university of other post-secondary institution. 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 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 PE. 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 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.

This section will present the current scenario about teaching profession in United
States of America. Basic Education, the Avenue for Teaching Jobs in USA the

The levels of education in the U.S. are similar to those in other countries
including the Philippines kindergarten

Pre-primary education Type of school providing this education are nursery

schools, preschool programmes, child/ day care centers. Age level is 4-6 years
old and the duration is 2 years.

Primary education - elementary school - There are varied levels of schooling in

primary education.

Middle school education - Grades 4-6, 5-7, or 6-8.

Secondary education - high school - Grades 7-12 or 8-12

• Junior high school. Grades 7-8, 7-9, or 8

• 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 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 income of teachers $44,917.00.

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 schools are changing from junior high to
a middle school model because young adolescents still need the support of
family like concerns. The middle school teachers, therefore, as a team should be
able to give more personal attention to middle school learners. many

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 the 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.