Teachers are the backbone of education systems and the key to reaching learning goals, regardless of context and situation. Within the COVID-19 crisis, they are on the front line in ensuring that...
This blog is authored by Quentin Wodon, Director of UNESCO's International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA).
UNESCO IICBA is a category 1 UNESCO institute based in Addis Ababa. Focusing on strengthening the teaching profession and improving educational outcomes in Africa, the Institute works with a wide range of partners towards “Empowering teachers for all learners to thrive”, its new motto adopted in 2023. In March 2026, IICBA’s Governing Board approved the Institute’s strategic plan update for 2026-2028. The strategic plan builds on progress achieved in recent years. This post provides a brief review of this progress and outlines some of the Institute’s priorities going forward.
As noted in its latest annual progress report, the Institute had a strong performance in recent years. In 2023, IICBA adopted a new strategy with three main lines of action: research and knowledge, policy dialogue and advocacy, and capacity enhancement. The first two lines of action were relatively new as the Institute had previously focused mostly on capacity enhancement. The logic of the new strategic plan or its theory of change was simple: research and knowledge should guide policy dialogue and advocacy, which in turn should inform priorities for capacity enhancement activities.
Guided by its new strategic plan, IICBA has mobilized since 2023 by itself or with partners close to $30 million in new funding from donors. This has led to a 4-fold increase in the annual budget versus the five-year average before the adoption of its new strategic plan in 2023. In comparison to baseline data for 2022, the annual number of individuals trained by the Institute has increased about 15-fold, the number of users of IICBA’s website 25-fold, and the number of research publications over 25-fold.
Partnerships have also been strengthened. IICBA helped draft the African Union’s new Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) 2026-2035 (African Union Commission, 2025a) and a separate strategy on mental health and psycho-social support for teachers (African Union Commission, 2025b). The Institute is now also implementing several projects jointly with the African Union. Another great partner for IICBA is the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA), the organization federating Ministries of Education, Teacher Service Commissions, and Teacher Councils on the continent. IICBA and AFTRA are also implementing several projects together.
With a strong pipeline of projects for the next few years, the Institute hopes to increase its impact further going forward. This may require some shifts. Many countries in the global south and especially in Africa are facing today what I would call a “triple D” crisis: high levels of debt, lower levels of support from donors, and rising constraints to development. This crisis calls for being creative in developing new approaches to investing in education, including for teacher professional development.
The strategic plan update recently approved by the Institute’s Governing Board follows the same structure as the previous strategy adopted in 2023, thus keeping the same three main lines of action since they remain relevant today. Yet within each line of action, there are a few shifts.
For research and knowledge, potential areas of emphasis for the next three years could include both traditional and new topics. Traditional topics would include: (i) Teacher policies, i.e. documenting policies across countries; (ii) Teacher professional development, both in-service and pre-service; (iii) Attractiveness of the profession, including salaries and benefits, but also mental health and well-being. New topics at least for IICBA could include: include (iv) Teacher management information systems; (v) Teaching for programs for children out of school (accelerated learning programmes); (vi) Digitalization and AI, including both their opportunities and associated risks; (v) Higher education, including challenges faced by universities and teacher training g institutions; (vi); School leadership, including best practice onboarding programs; and (vii) Economic analysis of teacher issues in the context of limited fiscal space for education. This list of topics is only indicative as other themes could be considered based on demand from countries. In addition, IICBA will aim to expand its Africa Education Knowledge Platform launched in 2025 to make research more widely accessible.
Priorities for 2026-2028 for policy dialogue will need to be based on demand from countries, but the areas mentioned above for research and knowledge will likely lead to opportunities for policy dialogue. Various avenues and events will continue to be used for dialogue. But on implementation, three aspects are emphasized in the new strategic plan update. First, a key constraint to the adoption of promising interventions and policies by Ministries of Education is uncertainty about cost and how to scale-up pilots. This is especially important today as countries have limited fiscal space to invest in education and are also suffering from lower support from donors and other constraints to development. IICBA will need to pay closer attention to how much interventions or policies may cost and whether they represent a good investment given budget constraints. Based on country or partner suggestions, IICBA may also conduct investment cases to advocate for specific interventions or policies. Second, dissemination is key for use of research for policy. IICBA will need to further strengthen its communications, for example building on recent gains in website users. Third, IICBA has mostly focused its work on public schools, teacher training institutions, and higher education institutions. This remains the priority but ensuring that some of the work of the Institute also reaches private schools and institutions is also warranted given their large footprint in Africa.
Capacity enhancement on teacher professional development and education policies has long been IICBA’s core area of expertise, and it will continue to be the Institute’s “bread and butter.” In terms of priorities going forward, a few areas are worth considering. First, to tackle the issues of teacher professional development and teacher shortages, IICBA will need to expand further its emerging work with teacher training institutions while also ensuring that Ministries of Education and other teaching regulatory authorities implement standards and policies for teacher careers and professional development. IICBA will also aim to develop diagnostic tools appropriate for low and middle-income contexts to facilitate the assessment of existing policies and suggest reforms at the country level, for both pre-service and in-service professional development as well as teacher policies.
Second, IICBA expanded its work on teacher well-being in recent years, including issues related to mental health and psycho-social support for teachers. One small innovation was the implementation of low-cost online surveys with Ministries of Education and other teaching regulatory authorities. This will remain a priority as there is high demand for this type of support, and improving teacher well-being is key to improve the attractiveness of the profession.
Third, given opportunities as well as risks related to digitalization and the use of AI, IICBA will need to expand its expertise in those areas, including through the provision of asynchronous self-paced online courses that could be combined with opportunities brought by AI.
Fourth, IICBA also has a responsibility to give voice to teachers, ensure that they are recognized for their work, and promote their inclusion in policy dialogues. This would require working more closely with teacher unions as well as Ministries. One way to recognize teachers is through teacher awards, which IICBA will continue to support at the continental and country levels. IICBA will also continue to conduct interviews with great teachers and other education practitioners so that their experience can be shared.
Finally, one key recent development has been the support that IICBA provides to country system transformation grants funded by the Global Partnership for Education. This work will expand in the next three years with support planned among others for Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, and Mali, with lessons learned informing the broader work of the Institute.
Following the adoption of a new strategic plan a few years ago, IICBA has grown as an Institute thanks to stronger resource mobilization and great support from partners. Apart from an increase in projects and capacity enhancement activities, IICBA has been more active in research and knowledge, and in policy dialogue and advocacy, both of which have helped in achieving impact. At the same time, IICBA remains a small Institute with a limited budget. By itself, it cannot achieve as much as it can together with others. The Institute’s impact depends on its partnerships, both internal (within the UNESCO family) and external (such as with the African Union, AFTRA, and donors, with special thanks to the Government of Japan which has been especially generous towards IICBA in recent years).
IICBA and its staff have been fortunate over the last few years. But one should not forget that the global and African contexts have deteriorated for the education sector, including for resource mobilization. This is also true in other sectors such as health. Many individuals who were working on development projects have lost their job, especially in the global south, and many families who relied on these projects have lost the support they had. This includes teachers who are often poorly paid. This is not a time to be satisfied with the Institute’s performance. This is a time to work even harder to help improve education systems on Africa. IICBA has a great team and a strong pipeline of projects. The team is grateful to all those who have supported the Institute in previous years. But we must do better, and we look forward to engaging in new partnerships. Together, we can strengthen teaching and learning in Africa for the continent to reach its full potential. The need is greater than ever.
A new webinar series on scaling teacher professional development (TPD) is underway in Southeast Asia, bringing together policymakers, practitioners and partners to strengthen system-level approaches to teacher learning.
Led by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) in collaboration with the Teacher Task Force and other partners in the framework of the Education Technical Initiative at the TPD@Scale Coalition, the series provides a platform for sustained dialogue and knowledge exchange on building more equitable, high-quality and efficient TPD systems.
The first webinar in the series, held on 23 April 2026, marked the launch of a seven-part programme running through October. The session introduced a new regional report and the “Six Pillars” framework – covering policies, ICT, supporting capacities, partnerships, learning design and communication channels – offering a holistic approach to strengthening TPD systems at scale.
Bringing together partners from across the region, the series contributes to Teacher Task Force efforts to strengthen TPD through evidence and system-level approaches. Upcoming sessions will explore key dimensions of effective TPD systems, including policy, ICT, partnerships and learning design.
The dates of the future webinars are as follows:
The Africa Teachers Webinar Series continues with its 12th webinar, part of the fourth set of webinars focused on digital skills and AI, reflecting an ongoing exchange on how to strengthen teaching across the continent.
Organized by UNESCO’s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) with regional and global partners, the series highlights how teachers are adapting to digital transformation and the growing role of AI in education.
Webinar #12: Preparing Pre-service Teachers for AI-Enabled and Digital Classrooms in Africa will take place on:
The session will explore how teacher education programmes can better equip future teachers with digital and AI-related competencies—supporting them to adapt pedagogy, use technology effectively, and respond to rapidly evolving classroom environments.
The Africa Teachers Webinar Series continues with its 12th webinar, part of the fourth set of webinars focused on digital skills and AI, reflecting an ongoing exchange on how to strengthen teaching across the continent.
Organized by UNESCO’s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) with regional and global partners, the series highlights how teachers are adapting to digital transformation and the growing role of AI in education.
Webinar #12: Preparing Pre-service Teachers for AI-Enabled and Digital Classrooms in Africa will take place on:
The session will explore how teacher education programmes can better equip future teachers with digital and AI-related competencies—supporting them to adapt pedagogy, use technology effectively, and respond to rapidly evolving classroom environments.
This blog has been co-authored by Prof. Sarah Younie, CEO, MESHGuides, and April Williamson, Director of Global Projects, Digital Promise, co-leads of the Teacher Task Force Thematic Group on Digital Education and Artificial Intelligence.
Teachers are at the heart of every education system, but in many parts of the world, they lack access to quality training and professional development. According to UNESCO and the Teacher Task Force, an estimated 44 million new teachers will be needed by 2030 to achieve the SDG 4 targets. Addressing this global teacher shortage requires a holistic approach, including training and accreditation systems that build professionalism and effectively support and develop teachers throughout their careers. Yet in many contexts — particularly those affected by crisis, limited infrastructure, and scarce resources — conventional training models fail to reach those who need them most.
The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the urgent need to equip large numbers of teachers with both foundational and 21st-century skills that are critical for lifelong learning and resilient societies. Teachers must be qualified, supported, and motivated — not only to provide quality teaching today, but also to prepare students for inclusive and increasingly digital societies. This is especially urgent in low- and middle-income countries, where scalable, low-cost, and rapidly deployable solutions are needed to meet the need for large-scale, high-quality, and effective training.
In this context, low-tech and mobile approaches — such as messenger-based training — are proving to be both relevant and cost-effective. Designed to function on basic phones with minimal bandwidth, these tools offer flexible, scalable, and accessible learning opportunities that meet teachers where they are. By leveraging tools that are already used by teachers, low-tech solutions can minimize, and even reduce, workload.
A number of members of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 (Teacher Task Force, or TTF) have been at the forefront of implementing such approaches. The TTF Thematic Group on Digital Education and AI, co-led by MeshGuides and Digital Promise, hosted a webinar, “Low-Tech, High Impact: Training Teachers Where They Are”, to highlight perspectives and lessons learned from two of these scalable, mobile-based teacher training solutions: the Future Teacher Kit and ProFuturo.
The Future Teacher Kit (FTK) is a mobile-based training approach tailored to reach teachers in a range of settings, including remote and crisis-affected areas. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) developed the Future Teacher Kit in collaboration with UNESCO and more than 1,500 teachers. The webinar highlighted perspectives on FTK implementation and impact from the Ministry of Education of Ecuador and the Jamaica Teaching Council, as well as GIZ, UNICEF and UNESCO.
“We know today that education systems owe teachers – not the other way around.” - Eilean von Lautz-Cauzanet, GIZ
The FTK is an adaptive, scalable professional development solution designed to prepare educators for a rapidly evolving educational landscape by improving access, fostering communities of practice, and supporting education system resilience. It uses low-tech tools with high impact, such as messenger services, to reach teachers in low-connectivity areas. Through ambassador-led, participatory communities of practice, it promotes collaboration, intrinsic motivation, and self-paced learning, while strengthening teacher networks and institutional capacity.
UNICEF joined the FTK partnership in 2024, contributing its strong expertise in digital teacher development. UNICEF has developed the Superstar Teacher Toolbox, a tool to support educators to use mobile messaging for learning, including two practical guides on digital skills and mobile pedagogy. Its content has been integrated into the FTK, leveraging the UNICEF RapidPro platform for text-based delivery. This partnership is enhancing the FTK’s scalability and pedagogical quality.
“The Future Teacher Kit reignited my love for teaching. It reminded me that I could grow, even in a digital world. It wasn't just training—it was transformation.” - FTK Cohort Participant
As a leader in digital teacher training, ProFuturo shared complementary experiences and practical lessons from their work in low-resource contexts. ProFuturo is an education innovation programme based on technology, founded in 2016 by Telefonica Foundation and “La Caixa” Foundation.
Learning and teaching are two essential processes in today’s society. To address them holistically, ProFuturo has developed the Global Framework for Educational Competence in the Digital Era. This framework supports lifelong learning, especially for teachers, and invites the educational community to reflect on the meaning of learning and teaching in the digital age, and on the teacher’s pivotal role in both. Their teacher training approach is based on an ongoing competence cycle that involves:
Through implementing their solutions with 1.8 million teachers in 30 countries, ProFuturo has identified a number of key lessons. Educational change is a cultural and systemic process centered on teachers, making their training essential for improving quality. This focus on teachers ensures high-quality training delivery, while flexibility and preparedness allow effective responses to diverse situations and challenges.
Recognizing limits and managing expectations, alongside sustaining continuous innovation and strong collaboration, allow organizations like ProFuturo to address the complexity of training teachers across extremely diverse contexts.
“Strategic partnerships enable the sharing of resources and expertise, ensuring that the program is well-supported and aligned with global educational initiatives” - Mila Tonarelli, ProFuturo
After the webinar, participants were surveyed to gather perspectives on teacher training strategies and needs in their own contexts. The following common themes emerged:
Based on the discussion, it’s clear that this is a common priority. There is a need for low-tech and mobile teacher training and ongoing professional development across all education systems. This initial webinar and blog are the start of a series of professional conversations in which the Teacher Task Force members dive deeper into the challenges, solutions, and best practices.
Future Teacher Kit
ProFuturo
Hero photo credit: BMZ, GIZ, UNESCO, UNICEF.
The Teacher Task Force Thematic Group on Digital Education and AI invites you to a webinar on low-tech teacher training, taking place on 24 April 2026 from 15:30 to 16:30 CEST (UTC+2).
Co-led by Digital Promise and Education Futures Collaboration, and co-hosted with the European Training Foundation, this session is the second in a thematic series exploring how low-tech solutions can expand access to teacher professional development.
Building on the first webinar held in 2025, this session will showcase practical, inclusive approaches to training teachers in resource-constrained and crisis-affected contexts. Participants will hear case studies from European Training Foundation, British Council, JokkoLabs and Save the Children International, with a focus on:
With 44 million additional teachers needed globally by 2030, ensuring access to effective and scalable training solutions is more urgent than ever .
👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gXdF7ZQ6
👉 Read the concept note
Format: Online (Zoom)
Language: English
This webinar will bring together policymakers, practitioners and partners to explore how low-tech approaches can support teachers where they are, and help strengthen education systems in even the most challenging contexts.