2.2.3 Comprehensive coverage of key dimensions

A teacher policy will be most effective if it is comprehensive, encompassing at least the most important dimensions of teacher preparation and work (OECD, 2005; ILO, 2012; see Chapter 3 for more details):

• Non-discriminatory, comprehensive, professional teacher recruitment
• Effective and relevant initial teacher preparation
• Universally accessible, career-long CPD (for all teachers)
• Monitoring and support, including effective teacher induction and mentoring
• Teacher remuneration and incentives to attract, deploy and retain effective teachers
• Career progression, including transfers and promotions
• Support to decent teaching and learning conditions – defined hours of work, class sizes, aids and organization to meet learning needs, access to adequate teaching and learning materials
• Professional standards, accountability, rights and responsibilities, including a degree of autonomy, codes of ethics and conduct, and disciplinary procedures
• Formative teacher assessment linked to learning objectives
• Social dialogue – information sharing, consultation and negotiation to give teachers a voice in decision making
• Effective school governance and leadership, including managing and supporting teachers.

Most reviews of education and teacher policies note that policies and strategies are usually fragmented or incomplete with regard to covering these dimensions, focusing instead on those policies that seem most relevant at a given time (Teacher Task Force, 2011a and 2011b; UNESCO, 2014a: 22). A good teacher policy should foresee all of the dimensions and take a long-term view, since teachers’preparation and learning impact are measured in years, if not decades.