Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Education in South Sudan: A Research Project on Teacher Coaching, Mentoring, and Networking (TCMN)

In South Sudan, 63% of teachers lack formal training and have insufficient support to accomplish their duties effectively. Prolonged war and strife in the country have substantially impacted teacher training and the overall education system. It has resulted in displacement, trauma, infrastructure destruction, resource scarcity, and safety concerns. Teachers are underprepared and unmotivated since there are few accredited pathways to qualified teacher status, and little continuous professional development (CPD). This, combined with little training in gender equality, equity, and inclusion, can make schools feel unsupportive and uninspiring. Low-quality education, along with a low perceived value of education, leads to poor learning outcomes and negatively influences enrolment and retention, particularly among girls.  

The Teacher Coaching, Mentoring, and Networking model for developing gender-responsive and inclusive education was created and tested in Kenya’s Kakuma and Dabaab refugee camps and has been implemented in South Sudan since 2021. This project creates and disseminates evidence to help adapt, contextualize, and scale the effects of the model. It examines how the model may be used at a larger scale to prepare teachers in South Sudan to help children returning to school after extended absences and ensure at-risk learners, particularly girls, stay enrolled.