A/HRC/20/21 countries. Reducing very large class sizes helps teachers to perform better, and pupils to 44 learn more. Norms sometimes lay down instructional time to be given to students at various grades of schooling, along with working days for teachers as part of their duties. 45 55. This indicator has been used by countries either in the form of a legal instrument with mandatory compliance or as a target or goal. In India, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act provides a maximum pupil-teacher ratio of 40:1 for grades 1 to 5, and 35:1 for grades 6 to 8 at the elementary level, with specialist teachers for science, mathematics, languages and social studies, and a head teacher for any school with more than 100 students. In Finland, the Ministry for Education and Culture recommends 20-25 pupils per class for grades 1 to 6; in Serbia, class size is 25 pupils maximum; while in France, average class size is 22.7 pupils. The Republic of Korea aims to bring its pupilteacher ratio down to the OECD average by 2020, and in Qatar, the goal is to reach a pupilteacher ratio of 13-15:1. 56. Norms for pupil-teacher ratio and class sizes cannot be implemented unless requisite teaching personnel is available (see below). C. Normative framework for the teaching profession 57. The quality of education received is heavily dependent on the qualifications and motivation of teachers. Hence, the adoption of a normative framework for the teaching profession is also extremely important. 58. Shortage of qualified teachers is a worldwide phenomenon and the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA promotes the teaching profession and improving related policies. The critical shortage of qualified teachers assumes alarming proportions, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.46 In this regard, UNESCO has established the Teacher Training Initiative for sub-Saharan Africa (TTISSA). Furthermore, the Pan-African Conference on Teacher Development (PACTED) was initiated in 2011 with the aim of providing a comprehensive policy analysis on the teaching profession. At the national level, there are additional examples of targeted initiatives, such as the Nigerian National Strategy for Teacher Quality Development, which aims to improve the quality of teaching and learning in public and private schools. 59. The teaching profession is not attractive enough and often does not enjoy social esteem, and this undermines teachers‟ morale and motivation. Enhancing career development perspectives for teachers is crucial. In this regard, the UNESCO-ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers (1966)47 provides a basis for developing national laws applicable to all teachers, in both private and public schools. 60. Standards ensuring good working conditions for teachers, such as providing a clear teaching-career structure, including evaluation, training and progression, and ensuring 44 45 46 47 Joint ILO/UNESCO Committee of Experts on the Application of the Recommendations concerning Teaching Personnel (CEART), Report of the Tenth session held in Paris, 28 September – 2 October 2009. Ibid. See Aidan Mulkeen, “Teachers in Anglophone Africa: Issues in teacher supply, training and management,” World Bank, 2010, p. 38: in many countries less than 20 per cent of basic teachers have the necessary qualifications to teach mathematics. The Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers recognizes that “advance in education depends largely on the qualifications and ability of the teaching staff in general and on the human, pedagogical and technical qualities of the individual teachers” (art. 4). 13