Romanian education has an acute shortage of teachers. The department, once so attractive, has today become a kind of “boo-boo” that scares students and drives them to other professions. More lucrative jobs, which give them a certain status in society, but also recognition. We are talking about a reality that we have been facing for years and that everyone knows. And the problem, which is becoming more and more serious every year, seems to have no solution.
The job of teacher is no longer wanted. Photo source: archive
It is no longer a secret: the job of a teacher has become a very thankless one. The reason? We are facing a vicious circle. First, teachers have lost their status, their aura, their “magic.”
Being a teacher is nothing special today. And this happened, among other things, because the teachers are increasingly poorly trained. And for this reason, they are “sanctioned” by students, parents, and society. “The department has long ceased to be attractive to students leaving the faculties’ benches, and this happens for several reasons”, explained for “Adevărul” Anca Florea, the Social Sciences teacher, but also the deputy director of BP Hașdeu National College, from Buzău. “First of all, it is about the village of the teacher that needs to be rethought and regained. On the other hand, we, as teachers, also have to rise to a certain level that, perhaps, we have lost”, continued the teacher.
“Where did they go? When did the glory years last?”
Where has the respect of the students and the appreciation of the parents gone? “In order to be objective, I have to somehow start from the “inside” and tell things by name: first of all, this degradation of the teacher’s image comes from an increasingly weak training of the teacher. It’s a reality”continues the teacher.
The level of training of teachers entering the system, from year to year, is decreasing, she also says. “First of all, the university environment itself is to blame, which no longer has the same requirements regarding the exam tenure. Then, we are also talking about some files that are, at first glance, very well put together, with numerous publications, but which are at least of questionable quality. And here is a very sad reality. Because there are situations in which a person ends up in a prestigious educational institution, only through an unfortunate competition of files. We are talking about a score that reflects absolutely nothing”.
Unfortunately, it is not the principals of schools and high schools who hire their teachers, but the school inspectorates deal with this aspect. So it happens that in educational institutions, when a teacher does not correspond, the leadership is tied hand and foot. Not the director to the employee, not the director can fire him. “And this should go away. The educational institution, if it were autonomous, would be much less prone to self-sabotage. Autonomy means the freedom to hire your human resource, to set your own evaluation and legitimation standards. When you, as an educational institution, would have this freedom, then you would also have a responsibility that you would assume“, says the teacher.
The institution of mentoring, the rescue from mediocrity
The director of BP Hașdeu National College from Buzău pleads for the institution of mentoring, which no longer exists in Romania.
“Students leaving the faculties and who would return to education, like teaching staff, could learn trades from those already in the system. The university prepares you professionally. Older, experienced colleagues could prepare you from a human point of view, could really teach you how to be a good teacher. It is a lesson only they know that can be taught to generations to come. Know that in college no one teaches you how to be a teacher. We learn pedagogy, but we don’t learn to be teachers. And that’s what mentoring does. And this is how suddenly, being taken under the protective wing of an experienced teacher, you learn, develop, grow”.
The teacher strongly believes in the institution of mentoring that would lead to an increase in the quality of teaching. “No matter how many books you read, these things are lived”. As for the level of training, the teacher believes that the teacher should be honest first with himself, then with his students. “We are directly responsible. The hibs, the gaps with which we leave college will not be able to be covered by anyone later. There are, indeed, things that can be fixed, even learning along the way, but most of them cannot be recovered”.
The status of the teacher deteriorated not only because of the system, but also because of a certain highly erroneous public perception. “I’m talking about the student’s family saying, ‘It doesn’t matter what the school says, it matters what I say.’ The authority of the teacher was undermined on a legislative basis extremely permissive with children. I am not saying that freedom itself is not good. I say that we must know how to juggle it within the limits of decency”said director Anca Florea.
The job of a teacher is no longer attractive, also because teachers have been very poorly paid for a long time. And who would want to practice a job that does not satisfy them financially? “True, things have settled down, many aspects are still in a certain dynamic, but it still does not attract fresh labor. The young students who leave the faculties prefer to go to more lucrative jobs, which will bring them prestige and recognition”.
Sorin Ion, secretary in the Ministry of Education: “Come! You won’t regret it!”
First-year students from the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics of the University of Bucharest were urged by the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Education, Sorin Ion, to become teachers after they finish their studies. Sorin Ion told them at the opening ceremony of the academic year to come this way because they will not regret it. “In Romania, at this moment, I don’t know how this thing is seen and known, but we really have a crisis of teachers of science, mathematics, especially physics, computer science. And my urge is to try to come this way, because you won’t regret it”Sorin Ion conveyed to the students.
“I urge you to come to the education system. I know what you’re going to say: it’s the low wages – well, they’re not so low anymore. Know that you will have satisfactions that you will certainly not find in any other field”said the secretary of state, basically a mathematics teacher, former school director and general school inspector in Dâmbovița county.
And the Minister of Education, Ligia Deca, had a similar speech during the opening ceremony of the academic year at the Politehnica University of Bucharest. “We are in dire need of trained teachers to teach science, technology, engineering, arts or mathematics and to instill a passion for them.” the official stated.
Older teachers will eventually exit the system. One by one. And their places will remain empty, for no one will come after them. Or too few will come. We will reach the situation where it will be difficult to find someone to caress and teach the children.
