H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO, opened a webinar in celebration of the “World Teachers’ Day”, held on October 5, 2020 with the participation of members of the Permanent Advisory Committee for Education in the Arab States, a representative from the General-Secretariat of the League of Arab States, the President of the Arab Institute for Human Rights, a representative from the UNESCO Regional Office for Education in the Arab States, the President of the Global Campaign for Education, and a representative from the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States.
In his keynote statement, Dr. Ould Amar underlined the fundamental and decisive role of teachers in enhancing the quality of education and improving its outcomes. He stressed the need to develop policies and programs designed to :
- Promote the upgrading and training of teachers,
- Enhance the rights of teachers,
- Improve the teachers’ working conditions,
- Raise the teachers’ status in society,
- Protect teachers from violence, marginalization and discrimination,
- Support teachers financially and morally, and
- Involve teachers, through their unions and associations, in the planning, implementation, follow-up and assessment processes, as well as in managing and reforming education and in envisioning the future of education and its role in achieving sustainable development.
Dr. Ould Amar indicated that ALECSO has always been working, jointly with Member States and with its regional and international partners, and through its plans, programs, ministerial conferences, scientific seminars and training programs, to improve the conditions of teachers in all Arab countries. ALECSO is also keen on further developing its performance and expanding its partnerships in this regard.
Presentations were made, during the Webinar, on the main trends, decisions and programs taken by Arab countries to empower teachers and help them improve their performance. They also focused on the role of international and regional organizations and the non-State sector in enhancing the status of teachers, improving their conditions, and developing their competencies, as part of the implementation of Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The meeting produced a set of recommendations, including in particular :
- Setting an Arab strategy for teacher development in the Arab countries;
- Developing a teacher training platform;
- Establishing an Arab program for the improvement of teacher performance;
- Preparing an Arab framework for the development of teacher qualifications and the teaching profession;
- Adopting the project of creating awards for outstanding teachers and for successful educational programs and teaching aids;
- Establishing a teacher performance measurement indicator;
- Carrying out joint prospective studies between members of the Committee, university professors, and research centers.
