UNESCO IICBA, UNICEF ESARO, and the African Union Commission’s Pan African Institute of Education for Development (IPED), through the KIX Africa 19 Hub, with the support of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the International Development and Research Centre (IDRC), organized a three-day National Capacity Building Workshop on Teacher Policy Development and Implementation in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, between the 27th and 30th of May 2024. The workshop had the participation of 37 individuals from various stakeholders in the Ethiopian education sector, including the Ministry of Education, teacher training institutions, teacher unions, and civil service commission representatives.
The government of Ethiopia has embarked on a broader reform agenda for improving its education sector to accelerate progress toward the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The strategy is outlined in the Ethiopia 2030 - Pathway to Prosperity outline in the Ten Year Perspective Development Plan (2021 – 2030). The government recognizes that the success of Ethiopia's education reforms hinges on the quality of teaching and the teaching profession. However, attracting and retaining high-performing candidates is challenging due to the low social status of teachers, inadequate remuneration, poor working conditions, and large class sizes among other challenges.
Given the growing student population, it is essential for Ethiopia to establish high-quality pathways for diverse and committed individuals into teaching and to develop policies that motivate, develop, and retain effective teachers, as outlined in the Ethiopia and GPE partnership compact. Consequently, the Ministry of Education has prioritized teacher reform and sought technical support from the KIX Africa 19 Hub to enhance the national capacities of its education sector staff for comprehensive and evidence-based teacher policy development.
The main objective of the training was to enhance the capacities of the national team of experts with the relevant information and knowledge on the process of developing and implementing a comprehensive and evidence teacher policy for Ethiopia. The training also aimed at enhancing the skills of the national technical committee to understand the various policy dimensions and frameworks that are critical in the design of teacher policy actions, including strategies focused on attracting, developing, and retaining effective teachers within Ethiopia’s education system.
Credit: UNESCO IICBA
Experiential sharing and learning from Uganda and Zambia on teacher policy development and implementation
During the workshop, Dr. Ebby Mubanga, the Registrar of the Teaching Council of Zambia and the Deputy President of the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA), presented Zambia’s teacher policy development process. Dr. Mubanga highlighted factors such as the importance of inclusivity involving all stakeholders; the importance of undertaking a comprehensive diagnostic study for identifying challenges; and bottlenecks to proper implementation of existing policy. He focused on teacher quality across various aspects; addressing teacher motivation through career progression and improved salaries; and continuous improvement by adapting to evolving needs.
Also at the workshop, Prof. Betty Ezati, former Dean of the School of Education at Makerere University and Chairperson of the Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE), shared insights on Uganda's teacher policy development process and its implementation. She emphasized the critical importance of early and continuous stakeholder involvement; a clear approval process with inspections by technical and political teams; and the need for a dedicated leadership agency to drive the implementation process.
Prof. Ezati highlighted several key components for effective policy execution: a comprehensive approach covering all education levels; a focus on qualifications, training, motivation, and leadership; and integration of cross-cutting issues such as ICT, special needs education, and gender equality. She also noted the necessity of a clear implementation roadmap, an effective communication strategy using multiple channels, and a strong implementation team supported by ongoing training. Her presentation was further supplemented by Mr. Jonathan Kamwana the former Commissioner for Teacher Development, Education and Training who shared about the importance of policy consultations in fostering ownership. The other critical aspect shared focused on the key steps taken for policy popularization and advocacy.
Moreover, Prof. Ezati stressed the importance of securing funding through partnerships; continuous dissemination and engagement; and building partnerships with stakeholders like teacher unions and parliamentarians for advocacy. Regular tracking of progress through teacher feedback and adapting strategies based on this feedback and changing circumstances were highlighted as essential for successful policy implementation.
Participants from Ethiopia found these insights from Zambia and Uganda highly valuable in shaping their own policy development efforts, as reflected in their positive feedback captured in figure 1 below.
Figure 1: Ethiopia MoE feedback on the usefulness of lessons from Uganda and Zambia
Source: Post-workshop survey, UNESCO IICBA
Insights from other regional frameworks are critical for strengthening the teaching profession
Finally, Senior education experts from UNESCO IICBA, shared more insights on the various frameworks and available guidelines to enhance the teaching profession in Ethiopia. The key frameworks referenced include Continental Framework of Standards and Competences for the Teaching Profession, Continental Teacher Qualification Framework, Continental Guidelines for the Teaching Profession and UNESCO's ICT Competency Framework for Teachers.
Takeaways
Following the workshop, participants from Ethiopia consolidated their learning and agreed on the need to:
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Develop and Assess Policy: Create a robust teacher policy in Ethiopia by assembling a representative working group and conducting a comprehensive needs assessment.
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Learn from Regional Experiences: Utilize lessons from Zambia and Uganda, focusing on stakeholder engagement and clear processes to guide policy development.
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Craft a Comprehensive Framework: Design a multi-faceted policy that includes teacher quality, ICT integration, and special needs education, securing funding through partnerships and ensuring continuous monitoring and adaptation.
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Engage and Collaborate: Involve stakeholders actively in the policy formulation process, ensuring inclusiveness and collaboration across Africa to address educational challenges.
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Leverage Technology and Sharing: Use technology to connect with teachers and benefit from the generous sharing of experiences by other countries to improve Ethiopia’s education system.
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Establish Support Structures: Form a policy implementation task force, conduct diagnostic assessments, and focus on teacher accountability and the role of the Teachers Service Commission to enhance educational quality.
