The role of teachers in universal education cannot be undermined in any society whose aims are to reach the height of any civilization and then be abreast with the current of the 21st century. Since the teacher’s role is to make judgments about how best to help their students learn in the environments in which they teach, this means the teacher is a very necessary actor on the stage of any societal development and advancement of progressive policies.
The teacher must also be recognized as a leader who works tirelessly for both the mental and spiritual growth of their students. As a leader creating or building leaders, the teacher’s role is therefore invaluable and must be respected.
What is Universal Education?
Universal access to education is the ability of all people to have equal opportunity in education, regardless of their social class, race, gender, sexuality, ethnic background or physical and mental disabilities.
It was around the 1830s that Horace Mann, a Massachusetts legislator and secretary of that state’s board of education, initiated the movement that would be advocating for the creation of public schools that would be universally available to all children, free of charge, and funded by the government of a state.
Why is Universal Education Important?
According to UNICEF, getting every child in school and learning is essential because it will:
- Reduce global poverty
- Improve health
- Foster peace
- Bolster democracy
- Improve environmental sustainability
- Increase gender equality
The Role of Teachers in Universal Education
Teachers do more than just share knowledge; they also care for students’ feelings, encourage them to adapt, and help nurture their talents. Let’s explore some key roles of teachers in universal education:
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Sharing Knowledge
This is the most important of all the roles expected of a teacher to take in inculcating knowledge across the world. That is why it firstly recognized the role of teachers in universal education composed in this article. Sharing knowledge, giving education, and teaching about life constitute this primary responsibility. All other roles of an educator are derived from this primary role of a teacher. This role gives birth to other roles.
Generally, teachers mean to teach students the specific syllabus and impart knowledge about the specific curriculum. Their duty is to make sure that students understand what is being taught to them in the classroom or in online teaching or in e-learning setup. Teachers must therefore fulfill this basic duty; otherwise, they won’t be able to fulfill other duties.
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Supplying resource
This role is like that of a library. The teacher is just an assessor or the internet, they are always there and the students can turn into the teacher for help anytime but most of the work is done by the students. In this role, the teacher asks the students to take classes, seminars, etc. and when they are stuck, the teacher helps them with the subject knowledge that he/she has. As the name suggests, they act as a resource for the students.
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Leading the Practice
When a teacher demonstrates the concepts and ideas, the learning is more effective. A teacher leads in demonstrating the knowledge they share by crossing boundaries and limit to ensure that the students have a meaningful experience. By being a leader and a doer in that field, education is respected and given the respect accorded it. Leading the practice is the role of teachers in universal education and it should be imbibed.
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Making Learning Fun
Given the uniqueness of every child and their choices, some students like studying while some students do not. It therefore becomes a responsibility of any teacher to teach students in such a way that they enjoy learning and focus on learning. They should adopt a fun method of teaching to teach students instead of a lecture method. This is the role of teachers in universal education.
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Deputizing Responsibilities
A teacher is not selfish or a know-it-all. Rather he is someone who delegates responsibilities and just overviews the overall functioning of the classroom. They are neither highly involved nor show less involvement. They give the students ownership and are mostly seen when learning occurs through group activities and classroom discussions. This is best suited for subjects that require group activities. English, Chemistry, Physics, and in the sort of subjects that require lab activities, the teacher often assumes the role of the one who deputizes roles so as to make leaders out of the students too.
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Counseling for Improvement
The teacher also perform this responsibility as one of the roles of teachers in universal education. A teacher is more than just playing the role of imparting knowledge into the students; he or she is also expected to be able to provide advice in times when students are either stepping out of the line or are losing focus from the main goal.
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Boosting Confidence
If a teacher appreciates and boosts the confidence of their students, it will be more effective for students. With encouragement, a teacher can make students cross any barrier. Students get encouragement with words of appreciation such as ‘good job,’ ‘well done’, ‘come on,’ and ‘keep it up’. Right words at the right time can do wonders too in boosting confidence. This another of the role of teachers in universal education.
