What is the importance of teachers for the education of society?

In addition to the responsibility of teaching children, young people and adults in the classroom, they are also part of the students' ethical and citizenship education.  

The importance of teachers in students' lives

It is impossible to talk about the relevance of the teacher for the education of society without first mentioning the impact he has on students' lives. Everyone who has ever attended school or university remembers at least one teacher who taught him something valuable, inspired or encouraged him to continue studying. You yourself must remember one like that, right?

This happens because many factors influence our way of seeing the world, especially as children. Among them are living with parents or caregivers, family, our culture, social class and, of course, the teacher. When a teacher enters a student's life, his role is to change the status quo, that is, to help him open his mind and seek new knowledge.

In addition, this educator has a significant role in the lives of students as he is the professional responsible for:

• Motivate students;
• Be a kind of mentor to the children;
• Encourage students to achieve their dreams and goals through education;
• Promote the idea of ​​equality and opportunity.

In other words, the teacher is the one who will guide students through a journey of academic learning and personal growth.

How teachers contribute to the education of society

Well, now that we remember the importance of the teacher figure in the student's life, let's understand how all this shared knowledge becomes important for the transformations of society.

To get an idea, the Austrian pedagogue Martin Buber saw teachers as builders of a community, since they play a key role in shaping people's character.

Teachers have great sociopolitical power and, by educating the next generation, they are able to influence society as a whole.  

But how can teachers actually contribute to the education of society?

1 – Stimulating critical thinking

A society can only be developed if it is enlightened. Therefore, the development of critical thinking that takes place within the classroom is so important. So, in addition to promoting the development of skills such as writing, reading, interpreting texts and others, this educator also teaches students how to think instead of teaching them what to think.

2 – Strengthening the sense of community and democracy

The teacher is the professional who facilitates the discussion, sharing of ideas, experiences and group work within the classroom. In this way, he encourages children, young people and adults to make decisions together, favoring debate and a sense of democracy. As a result, students realize how their decisions, as well as those of their peers, impact everyone's future.

3 – Helping to promote health

A UNESCO report pointed out that a child born to a mother who can read is 50% more likely to survive after the age of five, since she will be better able to take care of her children's health. This mother will be more likely to understand the importance of hygiene habits, vaccination and disease prevention. And the teacher is the main agent of this transformation.

In addition to teachers being remembered for all these responsibilities, another fact is that this profession was one of the first in history. That is, if the teacher is the one who always multiplies the knowledge of medicine, engineering, mathematics and philosophy from the most ancient civilizations.

Therefore, we can conclude that the importance of teachers is so great that it is possible to say that, without these educators, there is no society. And although it is a profession with great challenges, it is undoubtedly the one that leaves the greatest legacies for humanity.