If teachers are central to a school’s educational promise, why do they receive so little space on school websites?
Open a school website and what do you find? Information about admissions and fees, photographs of the annual day, examination results, the management’s photograph and a message from the principal. But how easily can you find the teachers? Can you discover who teaches mathematics or English, what their qualifications are, and what experience and interests they bring to the school?
A parent choosing a school has an obvious question: who will teach my child? It is surprising how little space can be given to answering it. The people who explain difficult ideas, encourage hesitant learners and work with children every day deserve a proper introduction.
Looking through a selection of school websites in India and abroad, we found considerable differences in how teachers are presented. Some pages provide names and subjects, others add qualifications, and a few offer fuller biographies describing teachers’ experience, interests and classroom work. Even where teachers are listed, parents may learn very little about them.
This deserves the attention of school heads. If teachers are central to a school’s educational promise, why do they receive so little space on its website? Buildings and facilities help parents understand the setting. Introducing teachers helps them understand the people responsible for their children’s education.
There are useful examples of how schools can do this better, beginning here in India.
The Doon School in Dehradun lists teachers by department, with qualifications alongside their names. Parents can identify those teaching English, mathematics, sciences, humanities and other subjects. Its introduction also explains teachers’ pastoral responsibilities: each teacher is assigned a tutorial group of about eight to ten boys. Parents therefore receive some understanding of the teacher’s wider role within the school.
Presidency School Bangalore North publishes a substantial table recording names, designations and educational qualifications. It includes classroom teachers, special educators, counsellors and those teaching art, music, dance and physical education. Tagore Senior Secondary School, Mangali, Hisar, similarly lists names, designations, subjects, dates of joining and qualifications. These examples show that useful information can be presented through a straightforward table. A school can begin without commissioning an elaborate website.
Welham Girls’ School lists staff by department and identifies several academic and extracurricular responsibilities, including debating, music and sport. Mayo College Girls’ School displays staff photographs and names under subject headings, alongside leadership roles. These pages make teachers visible, although the listings we examined did not provide individual qualifications or fuller professional biographies. Adding those details would make the introductions more informative.
A name acknowledges a person’s place in the institution. A photograph helps parents recognise them. Both have value. But a parent also needs to understand what the teacher teaches, what preparation they have undertaken and what experience they bring. A faculty list should provide a starting point for getting to know the school’s teaching community.
The Lawrence School, Sanawar, goes further by offering fuller biographies for some teachers. Gaurav Sood’s profile describes his qualifications, teaching of business studies in Classes 11 and 12, tutorial responsibility and involvement in the Kirloskar Inter-School Business Quiz. It also records interests including sport, reading, music and gardening. These details introduce a professional whose contribution extends across lessons, mentoring and school activities.
Examples abroad illustrate how such introductions can connect a teacher’s background with classroom work. At Harold’s Cross Educate Together Secondary School in Ireland, Ciara Mealy describes eleven years in nonprofit marketing, fundraising and campaign management, and bringing practical career examples into her subjects. Emily O’Dwyer connects her background in English and music, and her performing arts interests, with theatrical, student-centred lessons. The page also introduces special needs assistants.
At Riverstone International School in the United States, a searchable directory brings together names, roles, photographs, school email addresses and biographies. Matthew Arnold’s profile describes his biology degree, computer science minor and interest in helping students see connections between mathematics and computing. Physical education teacher Tyler Ashley’s biography records his qualification and experience coaching several sports. Some entries remain incomplete, but the directory provides a useful structure for finding people and learning about their work.
The British School of Beijing, Sanlitun, identifies teachers by year group and class, with fuller introductions available through “Learn More” sections. Teachers write in their own voices. Julian Hitchin describes his English degree, primary teaching qualification and experience leading computing. William Skinner explains his study of European history and interest in bringing the subject alive in the classroom. Such information gives parents something specific to discuss when they meet a teacher.
These examples offer a practical direction. Every school could provide a consistent profile containing a teacher’s name, photograph, subjects and classes taught, qualifications, relevant experience and year of joining. Qualifications should be written clearly, with awarding institutions identified. A short paragraph could explain a teaching interest, an approach to learning or a contribution to school life.
Teachers should help prepare these introductions. Their professional voices deserve to be heard, and they are best placed to describe the subjects and activities that interest them. Repeating “passionate”, “dedicated” and “committed to excellence” across every biography adds little. A specific account of classroom work or a school activity gives parents a more meaningful introduction.
Qualifications are an important part of this information, although a string of degree abbreviations cannot convey patience, judgement or the ability to explain. Experience, continuing professional learning and contributions to school life also deserve attention. Early-career teachers should receive proper introductions alongside senior colleagues.
The same consideration should extend to special educators, librarians, counsellors, laboratory staff and those responsible for sport and the arts. Parents should be able to understand the range of people supporting their children. Giving these colleagues space also recognises the breadth of work on which a school depends.
Accuracy matters. The directory should be reviewed each academic year, with assignments updated and outdated entries removed.
A sparse faculty page does not establish that a school has poor teachers, just as an impressive biography cannot prove excellent teaching. Meeting teachers and understanding a school’s educational culture remain essential. A useful website helps parents begin those conversations with some knowledge of the people involved.
School heads can start with a simple exercise: open the website as a prospective parent. Try to find out who teaches mathematics, who supports struggling readers and who leads music or sport. Then ask whether the information provides a meaningful introduction.
Schools ask parents to place considerable trust in them. Introducing the teachers who carry that responsibility is a reasonable part of earning that trust. If we say teachers are central to education, they deserve a visible and informative place in the school’s public life.
The ideas, opinions, and perspectives expressed in this editorial are those of the publication. AI-assisted tools may have been used to support research, drafting, and editing.