Courses and Events
Course 2024-3: Investing in School Leaders in Africa
School leaders are key to motivate and coach teachers, and thereby to improve learning outcomes for students in Africa. Taking advantage of the annual meeting of the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA), this short course will be held in person on May 8, 2023, in Lusaka, Zambia. The theme of AFTRA’s annual meeting is “The Teachers We need for the Education We Want: Agenda Setting for the African Union Education Year, 2024.” This course targets senior officials attending the AFTRA annual meeting with a focus on how to rely on evidence to inform programs and policies aiming to strengthen school leadership. The course will include three sessions of 1 hour each addressing the following questions: (1) How much does school leadership matter for teachers and learners?; (2) What can we learn from surveys of school leaders?; and (3) How can we strengthen policies for school leadership including Africa-wide certification?
Event 2024-2: Regional Consultation on a Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) Strategy for Teachers in Africa
The African Union Commission’s Department of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (ESTI), in partnership with the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA) and UNESCO’s International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA), is hosting a Regional Consultation on a draft Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) Strategy for Teachers in Africa. The strategy was crafted by the Continental Education Strategy (CESA 16-25) Teacher Development Cluster. The strategy acknowledges the significant mental health challenges that teachers face, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines a set of comprehensive strategies and approaches aimed at safeguarding teachers’ wellbeing, which is essential for maintaining a resilient education system. The goal of the consultation is for the MHPSS strategy to be reviewed by AU Member States and other stakeholders and validated for adoption as an Africa Union document.
Event 2024-1: Regional Consultation on the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) 2016-25
The African Union Commission’s Department of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (ESTI), in partnership with the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA) and UNESCO IICBA, is hosting a Regional Consultation on the CESA 2016-25 at the annual conference of AFTRA. The consultation event is expected to bring together representatives of the Ministries of Education, Teachers, Teachers’ Unions, Teacher Training Institutions, Employers of teachers, AU Commission, Regional Economic Communities, CESA (16-25) Cluster Coordinators, Academics, Civil Society Organizations, International Organizations and UN agencies who have directly or indirectly contributed or are well placed to influence the implementation of the strategy and its implementation. It will be hybrid, combining in-person and online participation.
Course 2023-13 Community of Practice in Gender-Responsive Education in Sub-Saharan Africa
UNESCO IICBA in collaboration with UNICEF ESARO and under the Global Partnership for Education’s (GPE) Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) Africa 19 Hub, is facilitating a professional learning course about gender-responsive education systems and good policies and practices in 19 GPE countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. This short course will follow a community of practice model with a mix of guided and independent work and will allow policy actors, education planners, and gender officers and advocates an opportunity to share and enhance their understanding of gender equality issues in education and gender-responsive approaches at the systems level. Participants who attend all sessions and complete an applied learning task will earn certificates.
Event 2023-12: Foundational Learning, Educational Attainment, and the Role of Teachers in Côte d’Ivoire
The objective of this event is to share a series of analysis results for Côte d'Ivoire on foundational learning, educational attainment, and the role of teachers in improving learning and schooling. The analyzes presented were carried out on the basis of household surveys, PASEC data, and other data, including a comparison of certain policies regarding teachers in Côte d'Ivoire with policies in other countries in the region. This comparative analysis received support from the Shanghai FIT project for the professionalization of teachers in Africa and Asia-Pacific. Given that development partners and the Ministry of National Education are engaged together within the Coalition for Fundamental Learning, the idea of the event is to present recent analyzes related to learning poverty followed by a discussion on options that would help improve learning.
Event 2023-11: The Teachers We Need for the Education We Want: The Global Imperative to Reverse the Teacher Shortage
World Teachers’ Day is celebrated every year on October 5. IICBA is organizing various events with partners to celebrate the Day. This includes (i) organizing with the African Union Commission and the Teacher Development Cluster under the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) a webinar for the African Union Continental Teacher Award; (ii) holding sessions on teacher-related topics at the KIX research and policy symposium to be held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on October 3-5; and (iii) contributing to other events including a webinar organized by UNESCO Dakar and another webinar organized by UNESCO Paris. For World Teachers’ Day, IICBA will also release analyses related to teacher professional standards and competencies, teacher education, and teacher working conditions.
Event 2013-10: Promoting the Professionalization of Teaching through Competencies and Standards Frameworks: Workshop for Sierra Leone
This one-day event is organized with funding from the Shanghai Municipal Government of the People’s Republic of China (Shanghai Fund-in-Trust) and in collaboration with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and the Teacher Service Commission. With support from the Shanghai Fund-in-Trust, a situational analysis was conducted for Sierra Leone on the state of professional standards and competencies for teachers and school leaders. The study will be shared and discussed at the event. In addition, the event will also include sessions on an overview of key aspects related among other to promoting girls’ education and reducing child marriage and early childbearing, and using EMIS data systems to inform policy.
Event 2023-9: Promoting the Professionalization of Teaching through Competencies and Standards Frameworks: Workshop for The Gambia
This two-day event is organized with funding from the Shanghai Municipal Government of the People’s Republic of China (Shanghai Fund-in-Trust) and in collaboration with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology. With support from the Shanghai Fund-in-Trust, a situational analysis was conducted for The Gambia on the state of professional standards and competencies for teachers and school leaders. The study will be shared and discussed at the event. In addition, the event will also include sessions on an overview of key aspects of the 2018 Education Act, the benefits of educating girls in The Gambia and the essential role of teachers in doing so, The Gambia EMIS data systems and its use to inform policy, and The Gambia 2020 Teacher Competency Framework, and the possibility of creating a National Best Teacher Award.
Event 2023-8: Teacher Well-Being and Policies in Kenya
Together with pressure from demographic growth and gains in educational attainment, teacher stress or burnout is one of the reasons why the profession faces shortages in Africa. Another issue mentioned by teachers for lack of satisfaction with their job is poor career prospects and low wages. Many issues affecting teachers have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this event held at the annual meeting of the African Curriculum Association is to share and discuss findings from recent surveys implemented in Kenya with a focus on: (i) How were teachers and university lecturers affected by the pandemic, and how were they able to adapt teaching during the pandemic?; (ii) To what extent are teachers and university lecturers affected by burnout, and what could be done to reduce burnout?; and (iii) how do teachers, university lecturers, and other education workers fare in terms of their wages, benefits, and well-being, and what are some of the policies and practices that could be adopted to improve their well-being?
Course 2023-7: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Training in Malawi (June 2023)
This national training workshop for Malawi is part of a broader program of work at UNESCO IICBA on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MH-PSS) for teachers. The training is intended to enhance the capacity of national trainers with advanced facilitation skills, behaviours, and techniques needed for the rolling out of the MHPSS guide amongst education officers, educators, and teachers. This national master trainers’ workshop will bring together representatives from
the Malawi Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST), the Department of Teacher Education and Development (DTED), and teachers from colleges and secondary schools. UNESCO IICBA organized the training in collaboration with the MoEST, the Malawi National Commission for UNESCO, and the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for Eastern Africa.
Course 2023-6: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Training in Uganda (June 2023)
This national training workshop for Malawi is part of a broader program of work at UNESCO IICBA on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MH-PSS) for teachers. The training is intended to enhance the capacity of national trainers with advanced facilitation skills, behaviours, and techniques needed for the rolling out of the MHPSS guide amongst education officers, educators, and teachers. The national Master trainers’ workshop will bring together representatives from the training colleges in all provinces. UNESCO IICBA organized the training in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, and Sports in the Republic of Uganda, Uganda National Teachers Union, UNESCO National Office of Uganda, and UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for Eastern Africa.
Course 2023-5: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Training in Kenya (June 2023)
This national training workshop for Malawi is part of a broader program of work at UNESCO IICBA on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MH-PSS) for teachers. The training is intended to enhance the capacity of national trainers with advanced facilitation skills, behaviours, and techniques needed for the rolling out of the MHPSS guide amongst education officers, educators, and teachers. The national Master trainers’ workshop will bring together representatives from the Teachers Service Commission, Institute of Special Education Basic Education, Medical Training College, Universities, Union of Post Primary Education Teachers and National Union of Teachers. UNESCO IICBA organized the training in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Sciences and Technology Kenya, the UNESCO National Commission Kenya, and UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for Eastern Africa.
Course 2023-4: Improving Girls’ Education and Ending Child Marriage – Benefits, programs, and Policies (June 2023)
Low educational attainment for girls and child marriage both remain major issues in Africa. This course organized for the country focal points of the African Union’s International Centre for the Education of Girls and Women in Africa (CIEFFA) has two objectives. The first is to share with participants new analysis of how improving education for girls and ending child marriage could have large benefits for the girls themselves as well as for their children and communities, and for society at large. The second objective is to explore strategies for improving outcomes for adolescent girls, and in particular the role that can be played by teachers from pre-primary and primary schools onwards.
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Course 2023-3: Improving Student Learning through Better Teacher Policies in Africa (May 2023)
Teachers are key to improve learning outcomes for students in Africa. In turn, teacher policies are key to empower teachers for all learners to thrive. Taking advantage of the annual meeting of the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA), this short course will be held in person on May 11, 2023, in Windhoek, Namibia. The theme of AFTRA’s annual meeting is Transforming Education in Africa: Teachers, Teaching, and the Teaching Profession. This course targets senior officials attending the AFTRA annual meeting with a focus on how to rely on evidence to inform policymaking. The course will include three sessions of 1hour each addressing the following questions: (1) How do teacher characteristics and practices affect student learning in Africa?; (2) What types of policies can countries adopt to strengthen the teaching profession; and (3) To what extent have countries adopted such policies and how can countries assess where they stand versus best practices? An optional component consists in implementing a specific project on how to strengthen the teaching profession.
Course 2023-2: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for Teachers in Africa (May 2023)
Since 2020, IICBA has been partnering with the Regional Office for Southern Africa to build resilience and strengthen psychosocial support for Teachers and Teacher Educators in selected Sub-Saharan Africa countries. The project is anchored within the framing of UNESCO’s Africa program which focuses on “Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future” (O3). It has supported (i) an assessment of the psychosocial impacts on teachers of the COVID-19 pandemic; (ii) the development of a contextualized sub-regional strategy on strengthening mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for teachers in Africa; (iii) the development of an evidence-based psychosocial support manual, school-based training manual and tools for teachers and Teacher educators; and pilot training for teachers, educators and education experts in four countries i.e. Ethiopia, Eswatini, Kenya and Malawi (iv) a self-paced e-learning course for teachers will be developed. This course aims to capacitate expert trainers (Master Trainers) with the skills and techniques to use the MHPSS guide, and further cascade and institutionalize MHPSS services in the pre- and in-service teacher programs in Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, and Uganda.
Course 2023-1: Evidence-based Policymaking for Education in Africa (May-October 2023)
Evidence-based policymaking is essential to improve educational outcomes for children, youth, and even adults. This course targets country focal points and other key partners in the Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) Africa 19 Hub initiative. The purpose of the hub is to facilitate the effective exchange, mobilization, and utilization of evidence, knowledge, and innovation for education policy review, formulation, and implementation among 19 Anglophone countries in Eastern, Western, and Southern Africa along six thematic areas. These themes include: (i) improving teaching and learning, (ii) strengthening learning assessment systems, (iii) strengthening early childhood care and education, (iv) achieving gender equality in and through education, (v) leaving no one behind, and (vi) meeting the data challenge in education. This course aims to provide KIX country focal points and other key partners with a structured introduction to the process of relying on solid evidence to inform policymaking.
