Teachers, a fundamental pillar for the educational development of the country: SNTE

Mexico City. Education is the main pillar for the development of a country, and for this pillar to be strong, teachers must have permanent professional training, decent working conditions and salaries, social security that, among other benefits, allows them to access quality medical services, as well as a sufficient pension during their old age; in addition, they must be valued by society and governments, as is being achieved in Mexico, said the general secretary of the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE), Alfonso Cepeda Salas.

During the 10th World Congress of Education International (EI), held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Cepeda Salas said in his speech that “there are only four countries in the world with individual accounts: El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nigeria; the rest have maintained the pay-as-you-go or defined benefit system or have migrated to mixed systems such as the United States, Canada, Poland, Chile, India, Australia, etc. Our struggle is to vindicate not only the workers who are active but also our retirees and pensioners.”

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In a statement, it was reported that the Secretary General of SNTE was elected member of the World Executive Council, North America and the Caribbean Region, of this federation that represents more than 32 million teachers and education support staff in 178 countries and territories.

One of the main issues addressed at the 10th EI Congress was the shortage of teachers, and a resolution was passed in which, through the campaign “For public schools!” create schools, unions urge governments to invest more in public education and in teachers, to guarantee their labour rights, as well as manageable workloads and competitive salaries.

They also call for trust in the teaching experience of the teaching profession, so that it occupies a central place in decision-making.

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In this regard, EI General Secretary David Edwards said that the global shortage of teachers is a serious problem. He warned that “to reverse this trend, decisive political action is needed. It is imperative that governments increase their funding for public education and invest in teachers, guaranteeing their labour rights and ensuring that they have quality working conditions. It is also imperative to respect the profession, value teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and involve them in decision-making processes.”

During the various presentations, it was revealed that half of the countries offer teachers lower remuneration than other professions that require similar qualities.