Teachers are underpaid. According to surveys, 60 percent of the public believes they should be paid more. Democrat and Republican voters agree that teachers should have the right to strike. However, it’s not clear how much teachers should be paid. According to the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, teachers make less than half of what doctors make.
Educators have a greater influence on people than many other professions. They are able to impart lessons that will last a lifetime. Thus, teachers deserve to be paid more than doctors, lawyers, or businessmen. After all, they care for people. In addition to teaching, they are caregivers.
In today’s society, teachers have a crucial role to play. They impart knowledge and prepare students for the workforce. Without these teachers, students would not be able to become doctors, lawyers, or even business leaders. Teachers should be paid well for their efforts in educating children.
Obama’s comments were accompanied by some data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The OECD reports showed that the salaries of doctors and teachers were similar in various high-performing countries. Interestingly, beginning teachers in Singapore were paid higher than doctors. In contrast, beginning teachers in the United States were paid less than doctors.
There are many arguments about the value of education. While there is no doubt that teachers have an important role in society, many feel that physicians have a greater value. Their professions are well known and respected, and they can practice in any country in the world. Moreover, they are not subject to malpractice lawsuits, which drain the funds of their practices.
Despite this, however, there are other arguments in favor of the need for teachers to be paid as much as doctors. One of them is that not all jobs require the same skill set. For example, some excellent engineers would not make good teachers. And, while people don’t have the same natural aptitude, they do tend to self-select into their fields. So, while money and respect attract appropriate candidates for various professions, too much money can drain those talented candidates from the more important jobs.
Moreover, teachers are role models for their students. Their students look up to them in many different ways and spend more time with them than their guardians. And, unlike doctors, they are more likely to help students develop into good citizens and potential leaders. If we were to compare doctors and teachers, they would be the best-paid professions in the world.
Teachers add value to society not only academically but as role models. Teachers must protect their students and care for them as if they were their own. This responsibility is important, because the teacher’s actions affect the future of a student. Moreover, it affects the whole family and society as a whole.
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