
Teacher Vang Thi Giang, a 22-yr-old, prepares her teaching documents in her dormitory room, Muong Khuong County, Lao Cai. Copyright: UNESCO/Nguyen Thanh Tuan
Well before COVID-19 started blurring the boundaries between work and home life for teachers, with new hybrid ways of teaching putting extra pressures, the Education 2030 Framework for Action had recognized teachers’ right to decent working conditions. Work time is an important aspect of this, with potential implications for reward and support mechanisms, but comparative evidence across countries is hard to come by. Conflicting accounts between official, actual and perceived hours of work or between self-reported and observed hours of work further complicate such comparisons.
Instruction is the main teaching task, of course, but others, including professional development, collaboration and outreach, take substantial time. Head teachers may be primarily involved in school management but also take on teaching responsibilities and other tasks.
Continue readingIt is safe to say that teachers are working harder and longer hours than ever before… and I didn’t think that was even possible. Thank you.
— Nicholas Ferroni (@NicholasFerroni) April 8, 2020