Lesotho Advances National Continuous Professional Development Framework with Support from KIX Africa 19 Hub

Across Africa, countries are increasingly investing in Continuous Professional Development (CPD), recognizing it as a key driver for education reform and a means to equip teachers with the latest knowledge and skills. The Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) 2026–2035 reinforces this priority, placing teachers, educators, and caregivers at the heart of its strategic vision.

In Lesotho, the government is taking a significant step forward by developing its first national CPD framework — laying the foundation for a coherent, sustainable system tailored to the country’s unique context. With a focus on strengthening capacity within the Ministry of Education and Training, Lesotho aims to foster a shared understanding among national stakeholders of the key institutional pillars that underpin effective CPD. To support this effort, Lesotho requested assistance from the KIX Africa 19 Hub, led by UNESCO IICBA, to organize virtual learning exchanges with Uganda, a country with valuable experience in CPD reform and implementation. These exchanges, organized by the KIX Africa 19 Hub on May 16 and 23, 2025, provided Lesotho’s education officials with exposure to tested models, strategic insights, and regional best practices, empowering them to design a framework that is coherent, locally grounded, and aligned with broader education and other legal frameworks.

Lesotho has undertaken various educational reforms aimed at improving learning outcomes, particularly in response to global and regional educational goals. A key initiative is the Ministry’s collaboration with partners to develop a comprehensive CPD framework and implementation plan that institutionalizes teacher professional development. 

The country recognizes that a CPD framework cannot be developed in isolation. It requires a system-wide approach that engages teacher training institutions, quality assurance bodies, and school leadership, and aligns efforts with national development goals. The virtual exchange with Uganda offered critical insights into stakeholder engagement and the development of a robust, actionable CPD framework after a comprehensive Rapid Assessment.

During the exchange, Dr. Makhube Ralenkoane, KIX focal point for Lesotho and Chief Executive Officer of Curriculum and Assessment, highlighted the importance of legal and strategic alignment. He referenced Lesotho’s Education Sector Plan 2016–2026, which identifies CPD as a key driver of equitable learning outcomes:

“The Government of Lesotho understands that its development relies on an efficient education system that includes quality teachers to produce skilled future citizens who will contribute to the country’s economic growth.”

Dr. Ralenkoane emphasized that learning from other countries is essential for Lesotho to develop a robust, evidence-based, and contextually relevant CPD ecosystem.

Uganda’s experience in CPD was spotlighted by three distinguished education experts: Dr. Sikoyo N. Leah from Makerere University, Dr. Wambi Moses from the Uganda National Institute of Teacher Education (UNITE), and Prof. Betty Ezati, also from UNITE. Together, they unpacked Uganda’s holistic approach to CPD and its strategic importance in transforming teaching and learning across the country. 

According to Dr. Sikoyo, CPD in Uganda is guided by a clear rationale, to enhance the competencies of in-service teachers and align their professional growth with evolving education priorities. As the education landscape becomes more complex, with shifts in pedagogy, curriculum reforms, and emerging student needs, CPD provides teachers with the tools and knowledge to remain responsive, relevant, and impactful in the classroom.

Dr. Wambi shared that Uganda’s CPD initiatives are closely aligned with national education policies and frameworks. In 2019, the Ministry of Education and Sports of Uganda established a  National Teacher Policy that provides for the training and development of teachers in Uganda, with an emphasis on standardization, career progression pathways and professional growth. The policy was informed by the Teachers Issue in Sub-Saharan Africa (TISSA) Study for Uganda (2013) and SGD 4 on teacher quality, which  highlighted issues such as under-professionalization of teachers, inadequate quality assurance, weak teacher training, and an unmotivated teaching workforce.

Additional frameworks guiding CPD in Uganda include the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) 2017/18-2019/20 (2017), which outlines the government's priorities for the education sector and emphasizes the need for CPD programs to improve teaching quality and student outcomes;  Quality Assurance Framework for Initial Teacher Education (2019); the Education Digital Agenda Strategy 2021–2025; and the  Uganda Teacher and School Effectiveness Project (UTSEP), funded by the Global Partnership for Education.

The three presenters emphasized the importance of having clear structures in place, including  legal backing, when establishing a CPD framework and the importance of stakeholder engagement from the outset of framework development.

Through these  virtual exchanges, Lesotho was able to learn from the best models on CPD framework development, its operationalisation which were corroborated by first hand information on implementation impact of the framework through experiences sharing and site visits in Zambia. 

The KIX Africa 19 Hub provides a unique, demand-driven, country-to-country knowledge exchange platform, connecting countries implementing reforms, like Lesotho, with those offering successful innovations, like Uganda. The Hub continues to observe a strong appetite among countries for peer learning and sharing of experience, an essential ingredient for driving sustainable, system-wide education reform across the continent.