Take a stand for teachers: children are in schools but not learning whos to blame?

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Purna Shrestha

Purna Shrestha is Education Policy and Advocacy Adviser for VSO International Getting children in low-income countries into school is only half of the job; many children leave primary school without acquiring basic knowledge, skills and competencies such as reading, mathematics, critical thinking and problem solving. The fact that up to three quarters of children, who have spent two or three years of schooling in some low-income countries, have not learned to read and write indicates the level of learning crisis. In order to ensure that every child has opportunities to exploit her full potential, the education she receives must be of good quality. Although there is no universal agreement of what ingredients a quality education comprises, during VSOs recent Valuing Teachers research projects, in Mozambique and Zanzibar the competence, commitment and qualifications of teachers were the most important factors mentioned by most stakeholders as needing to change before the quality of education can be raised. While teachers are often blamed by governments for failing to provide a good quality education to children, there is a lack of global commitment by donor agencies and governments to build a fully trained, well-supported teaching force. There is also a lack of commitment to ensure other inputs, such as adequate teaching and learning materials, a conducive teaching environment, manageable class sizes, better terms and conditions for teachers and parental involvement in childrens learning. A good quality education for all will not be possible without a sufficient number of well-trained teachers to teach children in school. Shortages of trained and motivated teachers Globally, we need an additional 1.7 million teachers to achieve universal primary education by 2015. The shortage of well trained and well supported teachers is a major barrier to learning. According to the UNESCO Institution for Statistics (UIS) latest projection, globally we will need to recruit a total of about 6.8 million primary teachers to achieve

universal primary education and maintain the current workforce. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa with increasing primary enrolment will need to recruit the equivalent of 63% of their current teaching workforce within the period 2010-2015. For example, Eritrea will have to increase the teacher recruitment by 24% whereas Malawi needs to increase the teacher force by 14%.

Rachia Abubakoni is a qualified teacher working at Wungu School the school she went to as a child. She became a teacher as she wanted to help girls & boys in the community where she was born to have the opportunity she almost missed out on.

When these countries are faced with increased pupil enrolment rates and scarce resources, governments struggle to address teacher shortages. Government, communities and nongovernment organisations have tried to address dramatic teacher shortages by applying different strategies: employing a new cadre of teachers with lower academic qualifications; providing less pre-service training; and appointing teachers under different terms and conditions (usually under less secure temporary contracts). However, deployment and support to teachers is often inadequate to meet the needs of the marginalised. While such strategies are argued as a quick fix efficiency measure to address qualified teacher shortage, in the long term, it comes with a price such strategies will lead to the decline in the status of teaching profession. It is wrong to expect childrens learning improvement when teachers do not have adequate subject knowledge and lack pedagogical skills to teach children how to learn. Because of unemployment, well-trained teachers may consider a teaching job on lower terms and conditions but their motivation and commitment to the teaching profession erodes when they find it difficult to make ends meet. They cannot give full time on preparing lessons because their job is insecure. Teachers who have to worry about their work and employment situations are unlikely to be effective in inspiring and mediating childrens learning. Take a stand for teachers!

Our future depends on teachers. Without teachers, education for all will never be a reality. VSO has been highlighting the pivotal role that teachers play in improving the quality of education through our Valuing Teachers research and advocacy initiative since 2001. If governments, international financial institutions, and donors care about childrens learning, VSO calls them to invest in well-trained and well-motivated teachers. The Global Partnership for Education must help governments to develop costed teacher workforce plans agreed with parliaments and civil society. This is to meet the full gap in trained teachers and deploy those teachers equitably by developing and using effective education management information systems at central, local and school levels. VSO is working with UN agencies such as UNSECO, UNICEF, ILO , teachers unions and civil society organisations to raise the status of teaching profession and address global trained teacher shortage. VSO is a member of the International Taskforce on Teachers for Education for All and Global Campaign for Education (GCE). VSO supports the global campaign Every Child needs a teacher launched by GCE and Education International and is a member of the reference group of UNICEFs initiative on teachers for marginalised children by social group and location. I am proud to stand for teachers because I would not be where I am today and be able to write this blog if I had not received valuable guidance and knowledge from some inspiring teachers that I have met. Purna Shrestha, Education Policy and Advocacy Adviser, VSO International

International Day of the Girl: realising girls' right to education

Thursday 11 October is the worlds first ever International Day of the Girl, as designated by the United Nations after a sustained campaign led by GCE member, Plan International. The denial of girls rights can have a devastating impact on the lives of not only the girls themselves, but also on the lives of their children and families. While progress has been made towards achieving gender parity in primary schools, with girls now representing 53% of out-ofschool children compared to 60% in 2000, the fact remains that millions of girls worldwide face horrific problems, such as discrimination, abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence. A GCE survey released earlier this year found that one in ten primary schoolgirls reported being unhappy to be a girl, doubling to one in five by the time they reach secondary school. Today, a girl under the age of 18 will get married every three seconds instead of enjoying her childhood and going to school. A girl who can read can make a vast impact on the lives of her family and her community. For example, a child born to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive beyond the age of five. If a girl completes basic education, she is three times less likely to contract HIV. Just a 1% increase in the number of girls who complete secondary education can increase annual per capita economic growth by 0.3%. This week, a 14 year old schoolgirl, Malala Yousefzai, was shot and seriously injured in an attack in Pakistan which targeted her for speaking out for girls education and rights. She had previously written for the media, using a pseudonym, following the expulsion of girls from school in a Taliban-controlled area. Fortunately, Malala is recovering and the Pakistani government along with the UN are condemning the actions of the group which carried out this vile attack. However, the group has publicly declared that she remains at risk due to her belief in girls education and realisation of rights. On the International Day of the Girl, GCE, alongside its national, regional and international members, is calling for the right to education for women and girls everywhere to be fully realised. National governments must ensure education budgets are gender-responsive to achieve gender parity in both enrolment and completion rates. School buildings must be safe, hygienic and accessible to ensure girls are able to learn without fear. Discriminatory practices, such as expulsion on the grounds of pregnancy or marriage, must be eradicated. Plan International has organised a huge number of activities to celebrate International Day of the Girl, with their Because I Am A Girl campaign demanding that the rights of girls be full y realised. These include a rock concert in India to the lighting of an Egyptian pyramid in pink find out more at the Plan International website. You can Raise Your Hand for Girls Education at their Facebook page. GCE has also been working with 10x10 on their girls education campaign and supporting the development of their upcoming film, Girl Rising. The film focuses on the efforts of ten girls in ten different countries to realise their right to education. You can view the trailer for Girl Rising now and join their network to keep involved in their campaign work and find out more about the launch of the film in 2013.