We can - and must! - raise the status of our school teachers

I just read the following interesting article (in Swedish) featuring an analysis of the reasons for the success of the Finnish school system. The thing that stood out the most to me was the following quote:

"Medan Sverige sliter för att fylla platserna på landets många lärarutbildningar, är det vid universitetet i Helsingfors större söktryck på lärarutbildningen än jurist- eller läkarprogrammen. Av 3 000 sökande i höstas, togs 120 in."

Loosely translated, the quote says that the Finnish school teacher education is one of the most - perhaps the most - prestigeous education you can take in Finland, and that it is harder to get accepted to that education, than to ones to become a lawyer or a medical doctor.

Now that is b-i-i-i-g difference compared to the situation in Sweden (and, I guess, compared to most other places in the world as well). A stark difference. A key difference - which simply cannot be ignored or downplayed. As the article ends, the biggest strength of the teacher education in Finland is not the way it is done (from what they write, it seems very similar to that in Sweden), but it is simply this: they get the best students.

The article also points out that the reason for this high status is not a high salary: it is only marginally higher than in Sweden. It is instead something else: something more related to a sense of calling, that teaching in Finland seems like something many people really would like to do with their lives. That teaching seems like the most meaningful thing many people could imagine doing, and that it to many people would feel like a privilege to be able to do it.
 

I can only agree with this. Teaching is the greatest gift, and the greatest joy, and I love that I have teaching possibilities to such a great degree in my own life. I am also hoping that my life will feature a little bit more teaching in younger ages as well, further down the road. That is actually a long-held dream of mine.

All in all, I think that one of the most important thing we can do in Sweden is to raise the status of the teacher job. Now, how do we do that? It is not that easy, it won't go quickly, but it certainly can be done. I don't have all the answers, but a few simple yet crucial details that come to my mind right away are the following: 

* remove most or at least much of the high administrative burdens on the teachers

* trust the teachers to do their best, and give them the chance to prepare properly, by not only removing administration, but also decreasing their number of teaching hours per week

* have smaller classes, and allow for more extra teachers and volunteers to come in and take of the load of teachers. Have more presence of adults, which by their presence calms unrest and emphasises the importance of the teaching situation. 

* do not focus too much on the bad examples, but try to highlight the examples that do work. Focus on the teachers that are happy in their work, that are succesful. On the schools that are successful. How have they done? We create the image of a thing by the way we talk about it. Let's talk about a teaching career as a gift and as a privilege. As the privilege that it is!