Trainee Teacher
Despite the divergent reactions on social media platforms to rumors about the Ministry of Education’s intention to implement a “trainee teacher” system for one year before official appointment, this remains a commendable step toward reforming the teaching profession.
I speak from personal experience. In the early years of the millennium, I worked as a “graphic designer” at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training. At that time, I was the only person in the Authority’s General Administration holding a degree in graphic design. Nevertheless, my initial job title upon appointment was “Assistant Graphic Art Designer.” I asked officials: “Who is the designer I am assisting?” I was told: “This is the established system.”
Over the years, I progressed through various job titles until I became a “Graphic Design Specialist.” I later realized that professional progression is not a diminishment of a new employee’s status, but a natural means of gradually acquiring experience and assuming responsibility. This practice is common in many professions; engineers, pilots, and others do not necessarily begin their careers at the highest levels of responsibility. Instead, they undergo stages of training, practice, and evaluation before attaining their rightful job title.
Obtaining a university degree in basic education does not necessarily mean one has become a fully equipped teacher. Teaching, in reality, requires a genuine desire to be an educator, which differs from university studies, including field practice and its subsequent recommendations.
Through my work in the educational field and my interactions with teachers, I can say that I have seen graduates from non-education majors possessing professional and scientific competence that surpasses a large segment of graduates from teachers’ colleges. This raises an important question about the outputs of education colleges. A degree should serve as a passport to enter the world of education, not as a final guarantee of the right to practice the profession.
Reports from the World Bank and the National Center for Educational Development have confirmed a decline in students’ performance in international tests, due to inadequate teacher preparation. Analyses revealed that a significant number of graduates face real difficulties in mastering the scientific depth of their core subjects, such as Arabic, mathematics, and science, as well as weaknesses in teaching skills. This explains the low educational outcomes and underscores the urgent need to re-evaluate teacher competence before entrusting them with classroom leadership.
The lack of seriousness among teachers’ colleges in improving their outputs does not obligate the Ministry of Education to accept these graduates. The Ministry is entrusted with the scientific and educational future of our children. The first serious step in developing education is selecting the best educational personnel. Opening the doors to appointment without competence tests and rigorous interviews constitutes a gamble and a disregard for students’ future.
This raises the same question: Why do some graduates of education colleges shy away from these tests, despite being the most deserving of confidence in their abilities, while others from outside the educational sector have passed them with distinction?
In some ministries, engineers are examined before appointment, and their career path begins with the title “Junior Engineer” and ends with “Senior Engineer.” Why, then, do we belittle the teaching profession, which builds generations?
