Teachers Under Siege

"Teachers Under Siege" examines the current and future role of teachers in the knowledge-based economy. It argues that they are being presented with an impossible task: they are expected to educate "youth" as the future of society within organizational structures that are outdated and frustrating. Despite the best intentions of policymakers, teachers are voting with their feet and continue to leave the profession. This book sheds light on their motives for doing so.The book is based on surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions with teachers and other education professionals. It is a clarion call for teachers to galvanize their energies and remodel the teaching profession on their own terms. This must include greater professional autonomy and a new respect for the role of vocation within teaching. Only then can education begin once again to value its human face over its organizational one.This book will be essential reading for all students of education and teachers interested in their professional survival. It will also interest researchers and policymakers, especially those engaged in futures research.