International Task Force for Teachers for EFA reflects on teachers Post-2015

Teachers were at the center of the following meetings which took place in Rabat, Morocco, December 16-19, 2015:

• The 7th International Policy Dialogue Forum of the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA; 
• A workshop for the validation of a guide for the development of a national teacher policy;
• An experts’ meeting to launch the initiative on “Teacher management in Fragile states”. 

The meetings were organized by the UNESCO International Task Force on Teachers for EFA and the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The theme of the Policy Dialogue forum was “Teachers in the Post-2015 International Education Agenda: What Policies, Practices and Tools for Teacher-Related Targets?” This was a fitting theme in light of the 2013/14 EFA Global Monitoring Report, which acknowledges that major gaps still remain concerning teachers. These gaps include teacher shortage, overcrowded classrooms, insecure contracts and inadequate salaries. 

The forum focused on the Muscat Agreement reached in May 2014 which states that the overarching goal of the post-2015 education agenda should be “to ensure equitable and inclusive quality education and lifelong learning for all by 2030” and that “by 2030, all governments will ensure that all learners are taught by qualified, professionally-trained, motivated and well-supported teachers” (Target 6 of the agreement). 

Among the major themes debated were: Inclusion and equity in teacher policies and practices; innovation in teaching and teacher education; and, the professional status of teachers. 

Discussions analyzed experiences and frameworks drawn from various countries namely Finland, Indonesia, Jordan, Lao PR, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda and Venezuela.

The validation workshop reviewed a guide for the development of national teacher policies.  Prepared by UNESCO entities, the guide provides a frameworks in the following areas:

• Framing policy based on a country's context;
• Considering the various dimensions of a teacher policy;
• Developing a national teacher policy;
• Developing an implementation plan for teacher policy.

Participants interrogated the guide with regards to how well it highlights critical elements in framing teacher policy and includes the major dimensions of a comprehensive teacher policy. The workshop participants also examined how adequately the guide addresses the challenges of policy development and implementation.

The experts' meeting held on December 19 on teacher management in fragile states explored the meaning of a ‘fragile state’. The major focus of the meeting was to come up with a “realistic, yet comprehensive approach, including attention to teacher management for conflict prevention, peace building and reconstruction of teacher education systems”. This was done by sharing experiences from several countries that have experienced turmoil in one way or the other such as Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia and among others. 

ADEA was represented by its chief education specialist, Hamidou Boukary, the Coordinator of the Inter-Country Quality Node on Mathematics and Science Education (ICQN-MSE), Patrick Kogolla and the Coordinator of the Inter-Country Quality Node on Peace Education (ICQN-PE) Mary Kangethe. Mrs. Kangethe shared ICQN-PE’s experience in working with fragile states during the experts’ meeting.

Further information can be obtained from the Taskforce’s URL: www.teachersforefa.unesco.org 

For more information contact Patrick Aluma Kogolla, Coordinator, ICQN-MSE, pkogolla@gmail.com2