To revive and lift education quality disrupted worldwide by COVID-19, while UNICEF backs EEF in improving education quality and building knowledge bases in education, research, technology, and innovations geared towards teachers and students
BANGKOK, Nov. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Ministry of Education, UNESCO, UNICEF Thailand, Princess Maha Chakri Award Foundation, SEAMEO (Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization), Save the Children, and the Equitable Education Fund (EEF), as well as education leaders from over 13 countries have come together to revive and lift post-COVID-19 education quality, for which the conference vows to set in motion the international cooperation between ASEAN member countries and Timor-Leste. The teaching profession has been posited as a crucial cog in providing all target groups with equitable access to education, and consequently achieving sustainable development goals while ensuring no one is left behind. Such rapport and commitment were cemented at the conclusion of the Regional Conference on Teachers and Equitable Education: All for Education in Southeast Asia, held virtually on 30 October. The conference was run in tandem with the 4th Princess Maha Chakri Award Ceremony 2021 to honour teachers whose determination and dedication to improving the skills and capabilities of their students in ASEAN countries are exemplary.
During the closing session, under the theme of ‘Way Forward: A Message of Hope and Engagement for Teachers and Equitable Education’, Dr Suphat Champatong, Permanent Secretary and Vice Chairperson of the Thai National Commission for UNESCO said that the COVID-19 crisis forced schools to shut down as part of the containment measures, thereby coercing Thai education into the remote mode like the rest of the world. As a result, not only do students have to adapt to it, but also teachers, who have to up their skills considerably in order to maintain teaching efficiency under the emerging constraints and obstacles. The Ministry of Education is cognisant of their struggles, and has undertaken mitigation initiatives, such as providing each student with 2,000 baht of compensation for equipment and internet connection for remote learning, building a networking platform for teachers to exchange experience and expertise, and running training courses for teachers, especially on creative and effective applications of digital technology.
"The conference raises awareness of the roles of teachers," said Dr Supat Champathong. "The Ministry of Education has been driving further development of teachers nationwide, in conjunction with lifting the quality of Thai education, because the ministry is well aware that the capability of teachers is key to the learning quality of students. Training teachers of quality calls for steady support from all parties involved, so that teachers can avail themselves of high-quality development programmes and are prepared for global educational trends that have undergone seismic changes."
"The conference today has told us of many inspiring stories for the development of Thai education, especially as to teacher development, which is indispensable for making education equitable and of high quality," said Supakorn Buasai, Acting Managing Director, Equitable Education Fund, Thailand. "As a small organization with an objective to campaign for equitable education, the EEF understands full well of its limitations, as well as the importance of support from domestic and international partners. It therefore trusts in extensive collaboration between multiple parties of the wider society if the best outcomes are to be delivered. In addition to allocating grants for students in dire straits, the EEF and its partners jointly build education databases and support research studies into new technology, innovations, and educational frameworks conducive to the best outcomes for students and teachers. The research work is going to be another vital impetus for policy changes."
"The essence of education quality indicators is equitability, which refers to education everyone is able to reach, access, and get equally regardless of ethnic background, language, financial standing, or limitations," said Kyungsun Kim, UNICEF Thailand Representative. "The roles of teachers are therefore not negligible. The skills and capabilities of good teachers naturally foster good development in students, especially those with limitations, such as disadvantaged, impoverished, marginal, or disabled children. They especially need help from teachers. As the government of each country has its own methodologies for improving the quality and equitability of education, UNICEF is ready and open to contribute in a supporting role to any projects the government agencies are running. The EEF and OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) would also be of help in smoothing the way for the projects to succeed, in terms of financial support, knowledge sharing, and research collaboration."
"One of the strongest shields that protect children’s rights is teachers. Teachers with skills, efficiency, and passion do not only make good-quality education accessible to students, but also make their voices loud enough for the society to hear, as well as potently preventing violations against them," said Prasert Tepanart, National Director of Save the Children in Thailand. "The COVID-19 pandemic is evidence of the necessity and indispensability of the roles and duties of teachers for good-quality and equitable education, which in turn gives rise to sustainable development."
"In addition to focusing on improving the skills of teachers, public and private organizations, as well as the education communities in ASEAN, are advised to concern themselves with providing teachers with skills in digital technology as well," said Dr. Ethel Agnes P. Valenzuela, Director Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization. "Teachers need to be able not only to leverage it skilfully, but also to stay one step ahead, adapting it creatively for their social contexts. I believe that teachers with both teaching and digital skills can increase the literacy of people in this region. I would like to appeal to all countries to take education to yet another level. That is, in addition to caring about teachers for early childhood education or young children, they have to find a way to increase the number of children attending education higher than primary one."
"We are going to focus on promoting and supporting equitable education, in line with the digital transformation of the world into a digital society, where teachers and students need to be competent and knowledgeable in digital technology and innovations so as to be all set for the 21st century," said Shigeru Aoyagi, Director of UNESCO Bangkok, Thailand. "Equipping teachers with knowledge, skills, and tools to lift their teaching quality would contribute directly to the improvement of education quality, and the provision of access to equitable education for children from all walks of life. UNESCO is ready to lend a hand, as well as acting as an intermediary for education partners around the world to collaborate."
"Teachers who bring about equitable education have seven attributes," said Ichiro Miyazawa, Head Ad interim UNESCO Myanmar Office Programme Specialist, Lifelong Learning and Literacy UNESCO Bangkok Office. "(1) They care about and respect each student, as well as knowing their strengths and weaknesses, thereby allowing them to shine in their own way. (2) They support and inspire their students, giving them self-confidence. (3) They are inquisitive, humble, and keen to learn for life. (4) They have creativity, flexibility, willingness to take risks, leadership, and adaptability. (5) They have efficient communication skills: listening to their students, entertaining them, and encouraging them to speak and think critically. (6) They understand social and emotional learning, as well as social psychological skills. And finally, (7) They connect education with real life. The best teacher is not the smartest teacher, but the teacher who knows what their students are good at, and are able to polish it or make them aware of it such that they use it to become good members of the society."