Teachers are essential to transforming education systems, and their voices must be heard in policy dialogue. GPE supports teachers to engage in policy dialogue at both national and global levels, to address issues such as training, teaching aids, curriculum, and career development.
Inclusive Policy Dialogue Requires Teachers
Teachers have first-hand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities in the classroom, and their insights are essential for developing effective education reforms. GPE advocates for teachers to be actively involved in policy dialogue and coordination mechanisms.
Examples of Teacher Engagement in Policy Dialogue
In Ghana, the Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL) organization works with the government, teacher education institutions, teacher unions, and others to develop national teacher standards and school-based mentoring. This high degree of engagement has led to improvements in gender-sensitive instruction, interactive student-focused instructional methods, and knowledge of school curricula and assessments.
In Nepal, there has been a movement to promote a learning culture across the teacher professional development system through evidence gathering and extensive consultations. This collaboration spurred a distance/hybrid model for continuous teacher professional development, a teacher mentoring program, and discussions on upgrading ICT infrastructure and providing teacher training in its use.
Accountability in Reform: How Teachers Can Participate in the Partnership Compact Process
GPE helps partner countries transform their education systems by identifying the key barriers to change and agreeing on a priority reform with the potential to deliver tangible progress on education outcomes. A partnership compact outlines this priority reform and how partners will work together to implement it, including through funding from GPE.
GPE advocates for teacher involvement in the partnership compact’s development, as well as in broader sector planning, joint monitoring, and policy processes, through their inclusion in local education groups.
Teacher associations can be involved in partnership compacts in several ways. For example, in Sierra Leone, extensive national consultations were undertaken with teachers, administrators, students from teacher training institutions, and teacher unions to achieve the compact’s focus on foundations of learning for all.
In Comoros, where the compact focuses on leadership for equitable, inclusive, and resilient schools, discussions were held with the teachers’ union to solicit their inputs and generate interest as well as support for the prioritized reform.
In Tajikistan, teacher representatives were brought on board to the local education group as part of developing a compact and implementing the priority reform focused on competency-based learning.
GPE’s Commitment to Teacher Engagement in Policy Dialogue
While several countries are making efforts to include teachers in policy dialogue, there is still progress to be made. GPE stands ready to support partner countries in this journey, ensuring that the voice of teachers is reflected and uplifted in delivering the education children need.
Read more: https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/teachers-architects-change-education-policy-dialogue