There is no broad definition of the concept ‘profession’ that has been offered or universally accepted by scholars.
Some scholars contend that in Africa, the term is used for various activities such as drivers, carpenters, teachers, doctors, nurses and pharmacists.
In other countries, where teachers are merely certificate or diploma holders, they are regarded as underqualified.
In dire need of teachers, those who did not train as qualified teachers may be found teaching and referred to as teachers by both society and learners in the school.
Some scholars strongly contend that only teachers with university degrees can be considered to be eligible for teaching, and hence, qualify to be professional teachers.
This makes it difficult for those who claim to be professional teachers, especially in developing countries, where the majority of teachers do not possess university degrees.
These teachers cannot constitute a professional group because they are simply workers with college certificates or diplomas.
Putting this scenario in a Namibian context will leave most current teachers in the teaching profession in a quagmire.
The difference in opinion regarding teaching as a profession is caused by, among others, the following factors:
Lack of clear definition of teaching as a profession
There is no definition that is universally accepted by social scientists as to what amounts to teaching as a profession.
This is so because the teacher’s role is more general than specific with the fact that other ordinary people who have got qualifications without training as professional teachers can teach.
In addition, the social position and status of teachers vary from one society to another.
It is true when it is considered that different countries set divergent standards as yardsticks for qualified teachers.
In order to qualify as a teacher, some countries insist that teachers should undergo three to four years of training to qualify as a teacher, while other counties have policies in place, which force teachers to acquire teaching licences.
Yet, in many African countries, some of these restrictions are absent due to a critical shortage of teachers; hence, in many cases, anyone with a plain grade 12 certificate could be considered for teaching.
In addition, some societies still revere teachers, while in others, a teacher is seen as one of those people who teach children.
In some cases, the behaviour of some teachers renders them not to be respected by the society in which they serve.
Qualifications as yardstick for teaching
The controversy surrounding teaching status reflects in a general way the difference in teaching itself.
Teachers do not only differ from one another, but even within the same country in terms of educational level and qualifications.
Many countries accord different levels and qualifications to teachers.
One finds a teacher who qualifies to teach at primary level, while others are trained for secondary levels.
Professional qualifications as yardsticks for teaching are equally evasive and elusive in many developing countries, where teachers acquire qualifications from all over the globe and are dumped in those countries.
A teacher’s degree from either the United States of America or the United Kingdom is treated with dignity although that paper might have either gotten through dubious means or it is of low quality, while similar qualifications in an African country are despised.
Degree of control over conditions of work
Many teachers work in awkward and difficult places, where facilities are hard to come by. In many places, there are no learning and teaching materials let alone sanitary services. It becomes almost difficult to have some form of uniform evaluation in all schools in the society or the whole country.
Misplacement of teachers
In Namibia, this is a serious problem, where teachers are either underutilised or over utilised. It is not strange to find a situation where teachers with master’s or PhD degrees teaching at lower grades and those underqualified handling higher grades. There is no explanation that can be given, except for massive corruption in the teaching profession. The Public Service Commission and NANTU definitely are aware of these discrepancies. This is should be unacceptable in Namibia after thirty-two years of independence. It is true that, in some cases, you need to know the people and be well connected to be considered for promotions. Those who are promoted along those lines fail to deliver. And we have the guts to question ourselves why we have a higher rate of failures in this country. It is only a “lame education system” that can be producing a higher number of failures than passers every examination.
Conditions of services in schools
The way teachers carry out their tasks and adhere to the teaching profession in many schools is quite cumbersome. It is a fact that the status and position of teachers in many societies are going down due to many factors like poor working conditions, loss of respect through poor behaviour by teachers themselves, lack of motivation and other factors.
A teacher in relation to the teaching profession
It is expected that qualified and professional teachers should always take their teaching tasks seriously. In addition, they are required to act in a manner that maintains the honour and dignity of the profession inside and outside the school, and acknowledge that their attitude, dedication, self-discipline, integrity and training determine the quality of education. They should equally uphold professional conduct to enhance the image and status of the profession.