World Teachers’ Day 2024: valuing VET teachers’ voices

World Teachers’ Day, celebrated annually on 5 October, is dedicated to recognising the essential role of teachers in society. Its 2024 theme, Valuing teachers’ voices: towards a new social contract for education, emphasises the need to include teachers’ perspectives in educational policy and decision-making.

VET is an important route for young people to move from education to employment, or from compulsory to further education. VET teachers are the connecting factor between students and industries, and they can ensure that this educational pathway reflects the needs of both.

Teacher-led exploration of new VET practices

In the Netherlands, a practoraat is a learning research community and platform of expertise in vocational education. They are linked to each secondary-level VET institution in the country to enable the exploration of new professional practices through practice-oriented research.

These platforms empower VET teachers when they take the role of practor, the head of the team at each practoraat. The practor guides the research agenda, working with the business community, teachers and students.

Jorick Scheerens, Programme director at Stichting Practoraten.nl: 

‘There are many good reasons for VET schools to start a practoraat. The main objective is to promote the professionalisation of teachers into reflective practitioners. It stimulates a research mindset for teachers, students and staff, and encourages innovation in the business sector. The aims of practoraten are educational and curriculum development, professionalisation of teachers and strengthening cooperation with regional businesses.

Teachers can be involved in a practoraat as a practor, as a teacher-researcher, or as part of the knowledge circle, to develop knowledge that contributes to policy and decision-making.’