A/HRC/20/21 adequate salaries, were adopted in several countries. In Germany, for example, teachers have either civil servant or public service employee status, which guarantees a very high level of employment security. China‟s Teachers Law (1993) recognizes the Government‟s responsibility to take measures to strengthen professional training of teachers, improving their working and living conditions and raising their social status (art. 4). Further examples exist in many countries, including Argentina, Colombia, Indonesia, Latvia, the Philippines and Poland. 61. Further examples of different types of measures focusing on improving the quality of the teaching workforce are provided below. Teachers’ qualifications 62. States usually have standards that lay down the minimum qualification or experience required to enter the profession. Minimum eligibility in terms of qualifications for the teaching profession should include at least a university degree, and it should be obligatory for State authorities to deploy only qualified and trained teachers in schools. 63. In Portugal, several legal decrees establish a Master‟s degree as the minimum qualification for entering the teaching profession for all levels of basic education, including preschool education.48 To qualify as a teacher in Albania, a candidate must have a Master‟s degree in education, one year of professional training and must have passed the State Examination for Teachers.49 In France, initial training equivalent to a Master‟s degree in a university is necessary for a teaching position. In Nigeria, the minimum teaching qualification is the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE). Minimum eligibility qualifications for entry into the teaching profession have also been laid down in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and in Finland, including specific training prior to deployment in the schools. In-service teacher training 64. In-service training for teachers is a permanent requirement, not only to cover gaps in their qualification, but also to ensure their capacities are adapted to new demands. Training must emphasize pedagogical skills and subject mastery. Training may also enhance teachers‟ capacity to work with new information technologies. In Germany, training is regulated by the Standards for teacher training (2004) and the Common content requirements for subject-related studies and subject-related didactics in teacher training (2008). Regular in-service teacher training has also been reported in the Republic of Korea, Senegal and Uzbekistan.50 Working conditions and professional development prospects 65. The working conditions of teachers remain generally poor, with limited incentives and career development perspectives. On account of very low salaries, teachers often seek to raise extra income by offering private tuition (exerting pressure on students or parents) and/or by doing side jobs. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights noted this common concern.51 UNICEF similarly recognizes the importance of enhancing teacher capacity, morale, commitment, status and income so as to ensure a rights-based, childfriendly school environment that promotes effective learning. 52 As previously mentioned, 48 49 50 51 52 14 Response to the questionnaire - Portugal. Response to the questionnaire - Albania. Response to the questionnaire – Uzbekistan. See the Committee‟s concluding observations, E/C.12/KHM/CO/1 ( 2009). See UNICEF Life skills page, available at http://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/index_7260.html.