前瞻師資供需問題的結構性挑戰

Looking Forward the Transformative Strategies for the Challenges of Teacher Shortage

師資供需的問題，歷年來都是公眾關心與注意的焦點。1994年以後，各大學得以廣設師資培育中心之後，準教師人數便逐年增加，而僧多粥少的狀況下，造成所謂的「流浪教師過多」的供給過剩，導致教師甄試的錄取率屢創新低。而少子化趨勢愈來愈明顯，也導致教師缺額愈來愈少，更加深此一問題的嚴重性。然而，近年來，供需問題一反過去「僧多粥少」的情況，反倒愈來愈像「僧少粥多」。似乎愈來愈多學校的教師缺額得不到適當補充，部份學校只得一再辦理甄選，還往往未必能錄取到足夠的教師。所謂「教師荒」、「學校招不到老師」的現象，愈來愈成為教育政策必須優先處理的問題。既然「僧少」，是不是想辦法「僧多」就可以解決了呢？本文試圖從供需的概念探討此一師資供需議題。本文嘗試建構兩個相對的觀點：以學校為需求端的供需觀、及以準教師為需求端的供需觀。再據以評析現行的政策，並進而討論教育現場的結構性變遷，包括專業要求是否合理反應其工作負擔？教師薪資是否符合優質人力的期望？教育環境是否支持從事教職的熱忱等。本文檢視既有的政策文件與教育趨勢，試圖分析此一師資供需的問題，並嘗試從教育系統的整體性角度，來兼顧供需兩端的觀點其及政策意涵。本文主張：供需問題的解決，不能僅考慮增加師資生的培育數量，而更需從準教師為需求端的角度，來思考教師職場已經有了結構性的變化，基於此一論述，本文進一步提出三項建議，包括：合理地改善教師的工作環境，才能轉化為支持教師長期投入的持續動力，改善學校聘不到優秀教師的窘境，真正回應教師供需的問題。

Demand and supply of teachers has been seen as a key issue and constantly gained public concern. Since 1994, universities had been allowed to set up Center for Teacher Education. As a result, not only the number of student teachers increase year by year and also the issue of over-supply emerged. Furthermore, schools reduced their demand of teachers considering the increasingly evident issue of the low-birth rate. However, in the last several years, more and more schools could not find enough teachers. Issues of teacher shortage have been pushed to be high on the educational agenda. It seems that the issue of over-supply of teachers has become over-demand. Is the increase of the number of student teachers the answer to the issue of teacher shortage? This paper aims to investigate this issue by proposing two different perspectives: school as demand side vs. student-teachers as demand side. Current polices proposed by the Ministry of Education have been reviewed and discussed. In addition, transformation of the context of school education are highlighted and three relevant questions are raised including ''whether professional requirement is reasonable comparing to teachers' current working demands'', ''whether payment is reasonable comparing to the expectation of quality teachers'', and ''whether working environment is reasonable comparing to the aspiration of new teachers''. It is argued in this article that the issue of the demand-supply of teachers could not be responded only by those policies to increase the number of student teachers. Because of the changing context of school environment, it becomes increasingly critical that policies should concern more and more the perspective of taking student teachers as the demand side. Only if the working environment of teachers could be reasonably improved, the issue of teacher shortage could be responded and tackled properly.