‘Guru Devo Bhava’: Study Reveals 54 Per Cent Indians Encourage Kids To Become Teachers; Russia Comes Last In Order

A new global study about taking up teaching as a career reveals that Indians are the most positive about the issue, reported the Indian Express. According to the survey, more than half (54 per cent) of Indian people who polled encourage their children to pursue a career as teachers.

The Global Teacher Status Index (GTSI) 2018, conducted by the UK-based Varkley Foundation, was released recently. The study is reported to be the most comprehensive study of teachers, and was spread across 35 countries. China follows India in second position, with 50 per cent of parents encouraging their children to become teachers.

Around 23 per cent of people in Britain, who polled, would encourage their children to pursue teaching as a profession. Out of the 35 countries that participated in the poll, Russia came last with only six per cent of parents encouraging their children to become a teacher in Russia.

Other than the teaching as a career, the survey also polled and analysed various other parameters such as pupils’ respect towards teachers, belief in the education sector, ranking of professions in the education system and an overall ranking.

77 per cent respondents in India believe that pupils respect their teachers. Indians have a strong belief in the country’s education system – rating it 7.11 out of 10. Indians have ranked secondary school teachers the seventh-highest of all the countries surveyed.

Indians have ranked headteachers the fourth-highest of all the countries in the survey, while ranking 14 professions in order of respect. Overall in the ‘Global Teacher Status Index 2018’, India ranks eighth among the 35 nations surveyed.