Theory is one thing. Practicallife is another. Certain elite private schools in certain countries have an unspoken preference for a particular kind of accent for teachers in all subjects, including sports. Otherwise, at the implementation level, heads of English of state schools are subject to community aspirations and consensus, and commercial tutorial schools are subject to the market forces of competition and demand and supply.

This is a political issue and is deeply divisive.

Ben, are you saying some people may be proud or embarrassed by their accent? Live in another city within your country, for the next 10 years, and your accent will change also.

Accents do matter to some people. Margaret Thatcher hired a voice coach to help her change her accent. The other question you asked about suitability is not so easy.

Thanks Thaddeus. I asked the question because I had a friend who was raised in Rochester NY. We both were living in Pittsburgh. He was the first person I met who, (I thought), made such a huge effort to speak with near perfect diction, contorting his lips to pronounce each syllable. He said that's the way people Upstate spoke. So, I wondered if having a strong Southern accent would matter to the student learning English.