Seameo aims for teacher quality boost
The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (Seameo) aims to develop quality control standards for teachers among its members to upgrade the profession and improve the training of teachers in the region.
Education Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin said the plan will be discussed by educators and administrators from all member countries at the International Congress on Education for the 21st century (ICE2017), a regional conference which this year will be held in Bangkok on May 3-4.
Dr Teerakiat said teachers in Southeast Asia one day may have to register with professional bodies in the region to have their qualifications recognised, similar to the arrangements in place for other highly skilled professions such as engineers, architects and medical personnel.
He said the congress will invite each country to discuss how each select people who wish to be teachers and the methods they use to upgrade the profession.
“All member nations will analyse information gained from the exchange of views on the issue at the conference, and we will use it for educational development,” he said.
Dr Teerakiat said the discussion will include competency standards for teachers, such as basic knowledge, curriculums, teaching management, psychology, measurement and evaluation.
“Member countries will also be able to learn from each others’ experiences concerning various issues such as criteria for selecting teachers in Singapore, teacher development in Malaysia, allowances and benefits given to teachers in Brunei Darussalam, and the issuing of teaching licences in Indonesia,” Dr Teerakiat said.
The minister said Thailand will share with other members its “sufficiency-based schools” project where students are trained to understand “sufficiency thinking” in their daily lives — not just learning through textbooks, but making sure the young know how to become self-reliant, good citizens, live a balanced life and be resilient.
Gatot Hari Priowirjanto, director of Seameo Secretariat, said that apart from the development of quality control standards for teachers, the conference will hold talks under the theme of “Making a Difference: Shaping a New Learning Paradigm for a Sustainable Southeast Asia”.
Among the topics under this broad subject area are Teacher Education and Lifelong Learning, Making Accessible and Inclusive Quality Education Happen, and Enhancing Regional Competitiveness through STEM Education.
Others are Digital Learning in a Borderless World, Education in Emergencies and the Role of School Communities, Bridging Skills Development for Global and Local Demand and Strengthening Citizen Engagement in Education and Community Development.