The need to attain and develop certain standards and benchmarking criteria for all

professions has increased in todays competitive work conditions. Standards create a

professional environment of best practice procedures enabling organisations to confidently
create systems, policies and procedures. They also assure high operational quality. This
phenomenon makes a current issue of improving the occupation standards and qualifications
of teachers to comply with the contemporary developments like other occupation groups in
other organisations.
Autonomy is one of the main focuses featured in professionalism characteristics.
Forsyth and Daniisiewicz (1985)contributes professionalism debates stating that, the tasks of
professionalism are important, exclusive and complex, so professionals should have the
autonomous decision making powers free from external pressures (Defining Teachers
Professioanlism from different perspectives. Nihan Demirkas, 2010)
What extent do you agree with the above statement that teachers should be given
more autonomy in carrying out its duties and its role?

















Teachers play the key role in education as they are the people who are in direct
contact with the students. Through this sort of direct interaction, knowledge is thus passed on
to the learners. However teachers are bound by the laws of the Education Ministry and
regulations of the school on whatever they do and teach to the students. Very often, teachers
find setbacks to carry out their duties due to these limitations.
Teachers should not teach just by the book. Different students have different abilities
in learning. Those who are of better standards will be able to catch up with the lessons fast
and easily comprehend what they have learnt. The weaker ones may need more time and a
different approach to the same lessons. Teachers may have their own way to deal with these
students individually. Hence, if given more autonomy, they will be able to fulfil their duties
to more efficiency.
Creativity is an important aspect in teaching. To make lessons interesting, the teacher
has to design the lessons in different ways, some of which may not be bound by the syllabus.
An autonomous teacher will be able to conduct the same lessons with more creativity to
arouse the interest of learning by adding extra information on the related topic. This, in turn,
will encourage the students to read for further information and hence acquire more
knowledge than what is in the book.
Class discipline is important during the lessons. A teacher has to deal with thirty or
more students and to finish the lesson within 40 minutes is challenging. There will be
students who tend to be naughty and distractive. These students come from different
backgrounds and hence should not be dealt in the same way as according to the school
regulations. The teacher should be given the authority to deal with these students differently,
especially to find out the real reason behind their mischief. With autonomy, the teacher will
be able to help the individual and lead him back to the path of learning, rather than to deal
him harshly with the school regulations. Harsh punishment will cause the student to lose
interest in his studies and if he feels humiliated because of punishment, he will tend to create
more trouble. But if he meets a caring teacher who is willing to spend time to understand his
problems and give him love and care, he will be given a chance to turn over a new leaf.
Hence, autonomy to a teacher in his teaching practice is important. However the
teacher must possess the ability to exert his autonomy to the extent that best benefits both the
students and the teacher himself to ensure that he practises his professionalism to the fullest.
(456 words)