A Discussion on Value Competence and Role of Teachers

 Teachers, as a key component in the development of future generations, are an integral part of society, and their work necessitates the highest level of ethical principles. The Comenius' Oath is an ethical guideline that supports teachers' work while also reminding them that ethics are at the heart of the teaching profession. The oath is analogous to the Hippocratic Oath for doctors and the Archimedean Oath for engineers. The English translation of this oath is provided by the Trade Union of Education (oaj.fi). (Click here to see the full text).

Whether it's the teacher-student relationship, pluralism, or a teacher's relationship with their work, all teaching is based on ethics. Dignity entails regard for humanity. Teachers must treat all students with dignity and respect, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender diversity, appearance, age, religion, social standing, origin, opinions, abilities, or achievements. One of the core values in teachers' basic task is to guide students as they navigate life and their environment. Truthfulness with oneself and others, as well as mutual respect in all communication, are fundamental aspects of teachers' work. Fairness is essential when dealing with individual learners and groups, as well as in the workplace community. Fairness entails promoting equality and non-discrimination, as well as avoiding favouritism. Teachers have the right to their own values, but their responsibility at work is tied to their basic task and its standards, such as legislation and the curriculum. These ethical principles demand that the teachers are capable of respecting human rights, can ensure equality while enabling the provision of equal opportunities through active participation of the students.

Teaching Values (Source: seekpng.com) 

The basic human right of every individual to access education is one of the most fundamental aspects of the educational context. It is the responsibility of teachers, among other parties, to ensure that students are treated with respect and that their rights are protected in educational institutions, regardless of race, gender, age, or any other distinguishing characteristic. Bullying or harassment may occur as a result of socio-cultural or ethnic differences, particularly as education becomes more international. It is the teachers' responsibility (cf. Safety law) to ensure that such situations are not only dealt with but also avoided in the future by guiding the students. According to a report titled "Equality and Participation in Education - An Overview of National Evaluations" by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (Karvi.fi), there are numerous issues impeding the insurance of equality and participation in education, such as regional differences in income and resulting investment in education, the role of skills required for the development of a particular region, and the economy's inability to absorb highly skilled workers. These broader issues have ramifications for the role of the teacher in the workplace.

Universities and vocational institutes are aware of these issues, and their policy guidelines reflect this by proposing various solutions. At my workplace i.e. University of Turku, an equality plan 2021-2030 has been developed and implimented to cater to the issues of gender equality and provide sustainable opportunities to all those part of the larger community within the institute. In its policy preface, University of Turku highlights both the importance of gender equality as well as acknoweldges the inclusion of multicultural enviornment, different sexual orientations and other diversity related aspects. It states:

"The goal of this (utu equality 2021-2023) Plan is to promote non-discrimination and equality and to prevent direct and indirect discrimination and harassment at the University. Our University community consists of people of different age, cultural background, gender, sexual orientation and health. All of these people must have equal opportunity to participate and act as full members of the University community regardless of their characteristics and life situation. At the University of Turku, equality and non-discrimination are matters that concern the whole University community, and everyone has an important role in nurturing and advancing them. Accessibility and the promotion of study and work well-being are in the heart of the work towards equality. We are for example strengthening equality and non-discrimination related to age, sex, and ethnicity in the University community. These is a policy of zero tolerance against racism at the University of Turku."  Source Equality plan 2021-2030

The above plan is an example of complying with legal requirements stipulated within multiple laws. For example, According to Section 6 of the Constitution of Finland (731/1999), everyone is equal before the law. The Section forbids arbitrary treatment and requires that everyone is treated equally in similar situations (the principle of equality) and hence equality is a basic right. Similarly, non-discrimination Act (1325/2014) is promotes equality and prevent discrimination as well as enhances the protection provided by law to those who have been discriminated against. The Non-discrimination Act applies to the University of Turku as an authority, education provider and employer. The University has to evaluate the realization of equality and take necessary measures to promote its realization.

While legal requirments and complying to those requirments is a bare minimum for the educational instutes. More needs to be done to address the long term sustainable development through education. These long term plans usually translate to the institutional strategies. In case of University of Turku, it ackolwedges that the long term sustainability lies at the nexus of ecological, social and multicultral factors. Following is an example of the university strategy stemming from these sustainable principles while building on the legal requirements: 

"The new strategy term of the University of Turku for 2021–2030 has just started. According to the central message of the Strategy, the University of Turku builds a strong and sustainable future. The Strategy defines creativity, openness, ethical principles, critical thinking, strong community as the University’s shared values. Our Strategy clearly states that our University community is equal and diverse. In addition, many the unifying themes (internationality, open and effective science, responsibility, co-operation, and interaction) of the Strategy directly or indirectly promote non-discrimination and equality. Equality is also included in all four strategic goals and it is especially highlighted in the fourth goal, community well-being." Source: plan 2021-2030

For a teacher, the heart of this debate is "ensuring equality of opportunity" for the students they supervise. This means that teachers must provide students with the skills necessary to address current issues such as climate change and sustainable development. While doing so, they must adhere to the ethical principles that govern their work and ensure that socio-cultural differences do not disadvantage some of the students. As a result, the concepts of equality and active participation Beyond the usual actions demanded by teachers, such as addressing the "special pedagogical needs" of those with some form of learning disability.  

Overall, the role of a teacher within a classroom is critical, guided by Comenius' Oath and based on the fundamental pillars of human rights, equality, and active participation. However, teachers have a much broader role outside of the classroom in terms of their societal obligations to provide students with the skills they need to become capable and productive citizens.

References

Trade Union of Teachers: www.oaj.fi

Finnish Education Evaluation Centre: www.karvi.fi

Comenius' Oath: https://www.oaj.fi/contentassets/31548b52f43348c69e1c6ef4f7ece0ab/comeniuksen_vala_eng.pdf

Equality and Participation in Education - An Overview of National Evaluations: https://karvi.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/FINEEC_T1821.pdf

University of turku Equality plan: https://www.utu.fi/sites/default/files/public%3A//media/file/equality-plan-of-the-university-of-turku.pdf