The Importance of Teacher Training in a Changing Job Market
In Mexico, not only is there a shortage of teachers, but those who choose this profession face suboptimal working conditions. Teaching is one of the first contacts millions of students have when focusing on a professional career. However, with the growing changes and evolutions in the job market, teachers must have the necessary training to shape the future workforce.
As technological topics like generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and new digital tools are expected to have higher demand for professionals and specialists, teachers play a crucial role in developing the competencies required by the future labor market. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) emphasizes that educational transformation begins when teachers actively participate in social dialogue, decision-making processes, and policies.
UNESCO asserts that without proper funding, it will be impossible to achieve global educational objectives. A government-wide approach focusing on improving teachers’ conditions, fostering innovation, and financing education as a public good can increase the supply of qualified teachers and establish a sustainable, high-quality teaching body.
Challenges Faced by Teachers
Fernanda Domínguez highlights that constant political changes, law adjustments, and modifications create uncertainty among teachers in the country.
“From 2012 to 2017, there was a reform change, then it was reversed in 2019, the pandemic arrived, the full-time schools program was canceled, a new curriculum was published, teacher training began for this new curriculum, and now there’s an intention to intensify mathematics, sciences, and technologies, which was left idle in the previous six-year term. We don’t know if this will change again and require new training; this lack of stability is unsettling,” she points out.
Teachers’ Role in Developing Essential Skills
Nidia Chávez explains that teachers in schools with fewer opportunities play a significant role in developing resilience and finding ways to teach effectively without relying on advanced technology.
“One challenge is mathematics. Teachers in the country face a significant hurdle when it comes to numerical skills, which are essential for individuals’ integration into today’s society and crucial for educational trajectories. Teachers must continuously develop and learn innovative teaching methodologies to transmit these mathematical competencies,” she concludes.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the main issue in Mexico’s education sector? There is a shortage of teachers and suboptimal working conditions, along with constant political changes causing uncertainty.
- Why is teacher training crucial in today’s job market? As technology and digital tools become increasingly important, teachers must have the necessary skills to develop competencies required by the future labor market.
- What role do teachers play in developing essential skills? Teachers, especially those in under-resourced schools, are vital in fostering resilience and finding effective teaching methods without relying on advanced technology. They must continuously develop and learn innovative methodologies to teach essential skills like numerical competencies.
