Teacher

==Teaching qualifications==
In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain [[Certified teacher|specified professional qualifications or credentials]] from a [[university]] or [[college]]. These professional qualifications may include the study of [[pedagogy]], the science of teaching. 
Teachers, like other professionals, may have to, or choose to, continue their education after they qualify, a process known as [[continuing professional development]].

The issue of teacher qualifications is linked to the status of the profession. In some societies, teachers enjoy a status on a par with [[physician]]s, [[lawyer]]s, [[engineer]]s, and [[accountants]], in others, the status of the profession is low. In the twentieth century, many intelligent women were unable to get jobs in corporations or governments so many chose teaching as a default profession. As women become more welcomed into corporations and governments today, it may be more difficult to attract qualified teachers in the future.

Teachers are often required to undergo a course of initial education at a [[College of Education]] to ensure that they possess the necessary knowledge, competences and adhere to relevant [[Ethical code|codes of ethics]].

There are a variety of bodies designed to instill, preserve and update the knowledge and professional standing of teachers. Around the world many teachers' colleges exist; they may be controlled by government or by the teaching profession itself.

They are generally established to serve and protect the public interest through [[certify]]ing, governing, quality controlling, and enforcing standards of practice for the teaching profession.

===Professional standards===
The functions of the teachers' colleges may include setting out clear standards of practice, providing for the ongoing education of teachers, investigating complaints involving members, conducting hearings into [[allegation]]s of professional misconduct and taking appropriate disciplinary action and [[accredit]]ing teacher education programs. In many situations teachers in [[Public school (government funded)|publicly funded schools]] must be members in good standing with the college, and [[private school]]s may also require their teachers to be college members. In other areas these roles may belong to the State [[Board of Education]], the [[Superintendent of Public Instruction]], the [[State Education Agency]] or other governmental bodies. In still other areas [[Teaching Union]]s may be responsible for some or all of these duties.

====Professional misconduct====
{{See also|Child abuse}}

Misconduct by teachers, especially [[sexual misconduct]], has been getting increased scrutiny from the media and the courts.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Goorian |first=Brad |date=December 1999 |title=Sexual Misconduct by School Employees |journal=[[ERIC|ERIC Digest]] |issue=134 |page=1 |id=ERIC #: ED436816 |url=http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/15/fd/90.pdf |access-date= 2008-01-17 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080227085217/http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/15/fd/90.pdf <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 27 February 2008}}</ref> A study by the [[American Association of University Women]] reported that 9.6% of students in the United States claim to have received unwanted sexual attention from an adult associated with education; be they a volunteer, bus driver, teacher, administrator or other adult; sometime during their educational career.<ref name=DOEd>{{cite web |url=http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/misconductreview/report.pdf#p28 |title=Educator Sexual Misconduct: A Synthesis of Existing Literature |access-date=2008-01-17 |last=Shakeshaft |first=Charol |date=June 2004 |publisher=[[U.S. Department of Education]], Office of the Under Secretary |page=28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411133905/http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/misconductreview/report.pdf#p28 |archive-date=11 April 2008 }}</ref>

A study in England showed a 0.3% prevalence of sexual abuse by any professional, a group that included [[priest]]s, religious leaders, and case workers as well as teachers.<ref>[http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/misconductreview/report.pdf#p28 Educator Sexual Misconduct: A Synthesis of Existing Literature] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411133905/http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/misconductreview/report.pdf |date=11 April 2008 }} see page 8 and page 20</ref> It is important to note, however, that this British study is the only one of its kind and consisted of "a random ... probability sample of 2,869 young people between the ages of 18 and 24 in a computer-assisted study" and that the questions referred to "sexual abuse with a professional," not necessarily a teacher. It is therefore logical to conclude that information on the percentage of abuses by teachers in the United Kingdom is not explicitly available and therefore not necessarily reliable. The AAUW study, however, posed questions about fourteen types of sexual harassment and various degrees of frequency and included only abuses by teachers. "The sample was drawn from a list of 80,000 schools to create a stratified two-stage sample design of 2,065 8th to 11th grade students". Its reliability was gauged at 95% with a 4% margin of error.

In the [[United States]] especially, several high-profile cases such as [[Debra LaFave]], [[Pamela Rogers Turner]], and [[Mary Kay Letourneau]] have caused increased scrutiny on teacher misconduct.

[[Chris Keates]], the general secretary of [[National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers]], said that teachers who have sex with pupils over the age of consent should not be placed on the sex offenders register and that prosecution for statutory rape "is a real anomaly in the law that we are concerned about." This has led to outrage from child protection and parental rights groups.<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,432881,00.html | work=Fox News | title=Union Official: Teachers Who Engage in Consensual Sex With Teen Pupils Shouldn't Face Prosecution | date=6 October 2008 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010220256/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,432881,00.html | archive-date=10 October 2008 }}</ref> Fears of being labelled a [[pedophile]] or [[hebephile]] has led to several men who enjoy teaching avoiding the profession.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kissen|first1=Rita|title=Getting Ready for Benjamin: Preparing Teachers for Sexual Diversity in the classroom|date=2002|page=62}}</ref> This has in some jurisdictions reportedly led to a shortage of male teachers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s72521.htm |title=7.30 Report - 10/12/1999: Shortage of male primary school teachers |website=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |access-date=2007-12-26 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030822201605/http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s72521.htm |archive-date=22 August 2003 }}</ref>