This February: Spotlight on teaching profession

The news in recent weeks has put the career of the teaching profession under the spotlight. Just a look at some of the headlines and you'll know what I mean.

This article was published on Wed 11 Feb 09 and it commented about one of MOE's recruitment advertisements. The advertisement reaches out to potential candidates to apply for MOE's teaching scholarships. Clad in dark jackets and boots, the people in the ad are actually education professionals and they include a teacher, a principal, an HOD, a level head, a senior manager and a project manager from MOE HQ. And I thought they were models! They list the name of their respective schools too!

Some concerned readers felt that the ad "over-glamorised" the profession and it raises doubts about the motives and aptitudes of applicants.

Coincidentally, another MOE recruitment ad was printed on the exact same newspaper, and it was on the previous page!

Unlike the previous ad, this one, I feel, targetted the mid-career professionals because it featured a lawyer, a PR executive and an economist.

It seems like the advertisements are trying to make the teaching profession more "cool!".

I still prefer the tv advertisement. I think that's the best. I can't remember much of it but it's the one with different individuals saying things like:

"He's the reason why I..."

"Thank you Mr (something)..."

"Mrs (something)..."

I still like that advertisement. It is a good advertisement because the display of honesty and sincerity touches the heart.

The print advertisements above on the other hand, are very much similar to the army ones! Like a lemon - looks good on the outside, until you actually try it!

So maybe the days of grey-haired teachers with thick black-framed spectacles (once synonymous with our aging population) are over. We are moving to the era of a younger breed of teachers who, outside of conventional teaching methods, communicate with students via sms, facebook, MSN and friendster.

That's when I saw the above article in today's Sunday Times. The article talked about a new age we are in, where students and teachers can communicate outside of conventional mediums. It highlighted cases of inappropriate text messages sent by students to teachers, and in one case even sexual relationships between a 15 year old student and former teacher. It raised issues like what should be the extent of teacher-student communication? What is appropriate and acceptable behaviour?

I guess this is a shout-out to all you private tutors out there! More so because tutoring is mostly on a one-to-one basis. I also don't see how it's possible to not-give your contact number! My advice: don't put yourself in a position where your professional values are compromised, you are after all an educator more than a friend.