Coinciding with the DOAC and the mid-point in 2024 AU Year of Education, this #BorntoLearn event aims to put support for teachers at the top of the continental agenda.
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One in five primary school-age children in sub-Saharan Africa are out of school; their number is nearly as high as it was in 1990. Only two in three children in the region complete primary school by age 15. Among those who do, only 3 in 10 achieve the minimum proficiency level in reading, meaning that barely one in five children do so overall.
Highlighting the need for alignment across countries’ vision on foundational literacy and numeracy with curriculum development, textbook provision, pedagogy and assessment practices, the 2024 Spotlight Report underscores the importance of teachers to bring the change we design on paper to children in the classroom. It shows the need for better teacher support, who have a wish list of ‘if only I had more…’ that goes unanswered by leaders still expecting to see change in learning on the ground. This campaign will help clear the list!
Timed to coincide with the Day of the African Child and marking the mid-point in 2024 AU Year of Education, this online #BorntoLearn event aims to put support for teachers at the top of the continental agenda and highlight the importance of foundational learning to enable all children to reach their full potential and participate in society.
The event aims to:
Featured speakers:
Resources
On 18 June, an online consultation will be held from 13:00-15:00 (Paris time) with members of the Teacher Task Force on revising the 1966 International Labour Organization and UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers and the 1997 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel.
The 1966 and 1997 Recommendations set international standards for the rights and responsibilities of educators at all levels. These recommendations serve as a foundation for developing effective teacher policies, standards, and practices. However, significant changes over the past decades have presented new challenges that these recommendations do not fully address. Emerging trends such as increased diversity, digital technologies, crisis-affected contexts, new teacher qualification pathways, and gender equity issues necessitate a revision of these recommendations.
The aim of this consultation is to gather inputs from TTF members regarding the potential revision of these international normative instruments. These inputs will inform the Preliminary Study on the Technical and Legal Aspects relating to the Desirability of Revising the 1966 and 1997 Recommendations, to be analyzed at the UNESCO Executive Board's next session in Autumn 2024.
The discussion will be guided by the most recent and relevant literature, namely the Recommendations of the High-level Panel (HLP) on the Teaching Profession and the 2024 Global Report on Teachers: Addressing teacher shortages and transforming the profession. The conversation will be divided into eight breakout rooms – each dedicated to one of the two Recommendations and split per language group. It will be based upon three main pillars:
Participants will be invited to provide oral and written comments during and after the consultation.
The consultation will last 120 minutes and will be conducted in English, with breakout rooms organized and moderated in English, French, Spanish, and Arabic.
This event is by invitation only for Teacher Task Force members and partners. If you wish to participate and you haven't received your invitation, please contact Ms Angela Crovace a.crovace@unesco.org.
The inaugural Teacher Task Force and UNESCO Global Report on Teachers will be presented in Nottingham, U.K., on 21 June at a special event organized in cooperation with the United Kingdom Forum for International Education and Training (UKFIET).
The report, titled Addressing teacher shortages and transforming the profession, was officially launched at the 14th Policy Dialogue Forum in Johannesburg on 26 February. This Nottingham event aims to share the findings of the report and provide an opportunity to foster dialogue, exchange ideas, and generate actionable strategies to empower decisions-makers and teachers to improve education outcomes globally, in the United Kingdom and in Commonwealth countries as well as in countries where UKFIET and its partners operate.
An in-depth presentation will unveil the key findings of the report, including the need for an additional 44 million primary and secondary teachers by 2030 to meet SDG 4 targets. This session will discuss the root causes of teacher shortages, such as inadequate salaries, challenging working conditions, and insufficient professional support, as well as successful mitigation strategies employed by various countries.
Following the report presentation, four panel discussions will be held, focusing on key themes related to the report's findings:
The presentation of the report will be live streamed, the panel discussions will be in person in Nottingham.
AGENDA
Panelists will include key education stakeholders and representatives from partner organizations.
Useful links:
The UNESCO and Teacher Task Force Global Report on Teachers will be presented on Thursday 9 May at the 11th Conference and 13th Roundtable of the African Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA) in Lusaka, Zambia.
Jointly hosted by the Ministry of Education of Zambia and the Teaching Council of Zambia, the conference is scheduled to run from 6 to 11 May, uniting key stakeholders, policymakers, and educators for crucial discussions on Africa's educational future.
Carlos Vargas, Head of the TTF Secretariat and Chief of UNESCO's Section for Teacher Development, will present the Global Report on Teachers during a dedicated session on the conference's third day. This will be followed by a presentation of the Recommendations of the United Nations Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession, and a moderated panel discussion, where participants will explore the implications of these policy tools within the context of the African Union's Year of Education and the forthcoming Continental Education Strategy for Africa.
His Excellency, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, will be present as the Special Guest of Honour during the conference. Joining him will be Hon. Douglas Siakalima, MP, Minister of Education, Zambia, serving as the Chief Host, and Dr. Ebby Mubanga, Registrar of the Teaching Council of Zambia, as host.
About AFTRA
AFTRA, the African Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities, comprises Ministries of Education, National Teaching Councils, Teacher Unions, Teacher Education Institutions, and international organisations associated with the regulation of teaching. AFTRA is also the Africa Regional Branch of the world body, International Forum of Teacher Regulatory Authorities, IFTRA (www.iftra.org). It is further the Co-Chair of the African Union Teacher Development Cluster, Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 2016-2025), and member of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030. It has a special working relationship with African Union Commission, UNESCO-IICBA, UNESCO Regional offices in Africa, Education International Africa Region, and many others.
Photo: The Minister of Education, Zambia chairing the Planning Committee which included members of the AFTRA Executive Board.