Teacher education: the professionalization of teaching, its problems and prospects

Abstract

The title of this paper is not about the methods and techniques for planning, administration and management of teacher education. Rather, it discusses and addresses the issues to all those who are concerned about the education of the younger population of society through the provision of good quality teachers that society can produce. The paper is directed at policy makers, planners, managers, administrators, lecturers, academics teacher trainers and, indeed, teachers themselves to reflect on the whys and wherefores of what teaching is about. It goes beyond the technical tasks of importing knowledge. The focus of the paper therefore is on problems, issues and prospects of teaching in an African setting where population growth and illiteracy are very high; educational needs and the demand for education are most urgent; planning and management structures are relatively weak; teachers are untrained or under-educated; national incomes and teachers' salaries are relatively low; and education development is very much dependent on external resources and aid in one form or another.