Standard 1: Recruitment and Selection

Job descriptions do not discriminate on the basis of gender, ethnicity, religion, disability or other areas of diversity. They include at a minimum:

• roles and responsibilities;
• clear reporting lines;
• a code of conduct.

It is important to recruit qualified teachers with recognised credentials. They need skills to provide psychosocial support for learners and to teach learners with disabilities. If qualified teachers no longer have certificates or other documents because of the emergency, their teaching skills should be assessed. If there are not enough qualified teachers, those with little or no teaching experience may need to be considered. Training will be required for these teachers, based on an assessment of their education level and teaching experience.

Teachers speaking the mother-tongue language(s) of learners should be recruited whenever possible. Where necessary and appropriate, it is recommended that intensive courses in the national or host country language(s) be provided.

Criteria for the selection of teachers may include the following:

Professional qualifications and attributes:

• academic background;
• teaching experience, including teaching children with disabilities;
• sensitivity to the psychosocial needs of children and youth;
• trade or other technical skills and experience;
• relevant language ability, which may include local sign language knowledge and Braille.

Personal qualifications:

• age and gender, keeping in mind gender balance;
• tolerance;
• ethnic and religious background;
• diversity reflecting that of the community. It is important to consider underlying social tensions and longstanding inequalities, which may have an effect on the recruitment process

Other qualifications:

Teachers and other education personnel should interact with and be accepted by the community. They should be selected, if possible, primarily from the affected community because of their understanding of the social, economic and political issues faced locally. If teachers and other education personnel are accepted from outside the community, it may be necessary to consider additional compensation such as transportation and accommodation. If a learning site is established for refugees or internally displaced people, hiring eligible teachers and other education personnel from the host community may help to foster good relations.

Where possible, the references of all recruited teachers and other education personnel should be checked to try to ensure that learners are not put at risk.

It is important to set locally defined, realistic limits on class size, which allow the inclusion of all children and youth, including those with disabilities. Enough teachers should be recruited to ensure an appropriate teacher-student ratio. Stakeholders should consider the relevant national and local standards for teacher-student ratio and instruction. In some cases, humanitarian and development organisations may have their own standards for teacher-student ratios. A ratio of 1 to 40 has been recommended in some cases. However, stakeholders are encouraged to review and determine what is locally appropriate and realistic.