2.3.1 ILO and UNESCO

The global standard on teacher policy, the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation on the Status of Teachers (http://www.ilo.org/ sector/ Resources/ sectoral-standards/ WCMS_162034/ lang--en/ index.htm [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] ), was adopted by a special intergovernmental conference convened by the two organizations in 1966, after years of joint preparatory work. The Recommendation remains the sole international standard dedicated to the major parameters defining a professional teaching service. It can be used as a reference work by policy and decision-makers to construct or revise teacher/teaching policy. The standard is structured around twelve chapters, covering the following subjects:

  • Guiding principles and educational objectives and policies
  • Initial preparation and further education for the teaching profession
  • Employment and careers in teaching
  • Rights and responsibilities of teachers, professional autonomy, ethics/codes of conduct
  • Conditions for effective teaching and learning.
  • Teachers’salaries
  • Social security
  • Teacher shortage policies.

The Joint ILO/UNESCO Committee of Experts on the Application of the Recommendations concerning Teaching Personnel (CEART) produces an international monitoring report every three years on gaps and progress in applying the 1966 Recommendation (http://www.ilo.org/ global/ industries-and-sectors/ education/ WCMS_162256/ lang--en/ index.htm). These reports can help policy-makers improve teacher policy and practices. In the past, the governments and teacher unions of Japan (among others) engaged in a dialogue with the CEART on issues of teacher appraisal linked to careers, while those of Senegal discussed contractual teacher policy.

2.3 Using existing tools: Analytical works and available policy documents on teachers and education