DFID-Ghana marks International Teachers’ Day:
Every child deserves a good education and a promising start in life. They need schools to learn in, desks to write on, books to learn from and clothes to wear. But without well-qualified, inspiring teachers, a school is just a building, books and clothes are just for show and attendance at school doesn’t translate into good quality education.
Teachers hold the key to a better future for all. They inspire, challenge and empower innovative and responsible citizens. Every day, they help to educate children of different backgrounds and needs – mentoring and encouraging them to be enthused about and remain in school and give them a strong start in life.
Today on World Teachers’ Day, marking the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, the government owned Transforming Teacher Education and Learning (T-TEL) in Ghana programme, want to take the opportunity to thank all of Ghana’s teachers for their hard work in helping our children learn and grow. We also acknowledge all of our partners in teacher education, who are committed to making sure those preparing for a vibrant career in teaching, are as well-equipped as they can possibly be to excel as professional teachers.
T-TEL is a 4-year (2015-2018) Government of Ghana programme, funded and supported by the UK Government through its Department for International Development (DFID) – providing 17 million pounds – over 90 million cedis – to help transform delivery of teacher education in Ghana.
Since its launch one year ago, T-TEL has recruited and trained 20 Ghanaian education professionals who support the country’s 40 Colleges of Education – the institutions responsible for educating teachers – at the zonal level. These professionals are training those responsible for ensuring student teachers are well-prepared to excel in the classroom by conducting specialist training in interactive teacher education; effective leadership and management techniques; gender responsive and inclusive instruction; supporting high quality teaching practice in schools; and in providing professional development to college tutors.
Innovations initiated and supported by T-TEL are already being implemented by the Colleges of Education. All 38 public college have established professional development sessions for its tutors which are based on resources developed by T-TEL staff and advisers. Since October 2015, 87% of the scheduled professional development sessions have taken place across all colleges. And approximately 50% to 85% of tutors at a majority of the colleges regularly attend the weekly sessions. Many student teachers at these colleges are already noticing a difference in how their tutors teach.
T-TEL is also providing funds for innovation and results to Ghana’s Colleges of Education, ensuring they are motivated and ready to chart their own roadmaps to full tertiary status. Grants totaling approximately 2,000,000 Ghana cedis have so far been disbursed to 23 colleges to implement innovative concepts that would improve the quality of teaching and learning, and ultimately the skills of student teachers. T-TEL is equally supporting the National Teaching Council (NTC) and the Institute of Education of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to develop a national teacher education framework, as part of processes to improve the curriculum for teacher education.
At the second Annual International Conference on Education Research for Development in Africa (ICERDA 2016), T-TEL presented a paper, available on our website, on its innovations and shared early evidence of impact on educational practices within Colleges of Education and discussed their potential for sustaining an improved quality of education for children in Ghana.
The theme of this year’s World Teachers’ Day -Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status” could not be more relevant to T-TEL. Today, we renew our commitment to ensuring the whole education sector and general public in Ghana and around the world recognise the vital role teachers play in supporting our children and building a vibrant, productive and successful society. In doing this, we are helping to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 4, to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”..
On this important day, we thank all hardworking teachers and those responsible for helping them succeed. We also renew our commitment to ensuring that teachers are motivated, trained and equipped to provide our schoolchildren with a world class quality of education. Happy World Teachers’ Day!
Distributed by APO on behalf of British High Commission Accra.
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Source: APO – Africa-Newsroom: latest news releases related to Africa
