Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA
2014
Teacher Management in Fragile States
Concept Note
A programme of the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA
I.
Background
The Dakar World Education Forum in 2000 explicitly emphasized the rights of children in
emergencies in the strategies for achieving the Education for All goals and objectives. It
underlines the importance of meeting “the needs of education systems affected by conflict,
natural calamities and instability and conducting educational programmes in ways that promote
mutual understanding, peace and tolerance, and that help to prevent violence and conflict”.
According to UNESCO’s most recent data (EFA-GMR, 2014), a significant proportion of the 121
million children of primary and lower secondary school age still out of school worldwide live in
countries affected by war and natural disasters. Achieving Education for All requires that
governments and the global education community provide learning opportunities for these
children affected by emergencies. Teachers and other school personnel need to be available to
ensure this. Mobilizing and managing the teaching staff in such environments is neither an easy
task, and therefore, calls for concerted efforts.
UNESCO focuses its education programme, including in conflict and disaster-affected zones, on
four key priority areas – Literacy, Teachers, Skills for the World of Work, and Sector-Wide Policy
and Planning. In the same spirit, in view of the post-2015 education and development goals, the
Muscat Agreement - the output of the Global Education for All Meeting (GEM) held in Muscat,
Oman, 12 – 14 May 2014 - emphasizes that teachers are vital for an inclusive, equitable and
quality education for all. It calls on all countries to “ensure equitable and inclusive quality
education and lifelong learning for all by 2030”. In order to accomplish this goal, it further calls
“all governments [to] ensure that all learners are taught by qualified, professionally-trained,
motivated and well-supported teachers”. While it can be a realistic objective for some countries,
for fragile states, meeting this goal is a more daunting challenge.
In his Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) aiming at putting every child in school, the United
Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, emphasizes the need for giving special attention to
emergency situations. A safe school environment can give children a sense of normalcy during
a crisis. Schools can also aid in post-conflict reconstruction. Yet, very often, emergency
responses have often undermined support to education as a means to reconstruction for
sustainable recovery and peace-building. Only 2 per cent of all humanitarian aid goes into
education. Schools should be a higher priority during humanitarian crises, and national
education plans should include contingencies for emergencies.
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Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA
2014
In fact, education can save and sustain lives, can restore routine and give people hope for the
future; it can be the key to reach basic humanitarian needs, to promote safety, health, cultural
understanding and to achieve better economic prosperity. Education also plays a critical role to
prevent and reduce conflict and to prepare for disaster.
Unfortunately, the context of fragility is equally the setting for teacher shortage, harder teaching
and learning conditions, lower education of teachers, and easier resorting to untrained teachers
by education authorities. Many trained teachers leave the disaster/conflict area or die and are
replaced (if at all) by untrained community/parent teachers. Disaster and conflict destroy years
of investment in education, human as well as physical resources. Education infrastructure is
sometimes deliberately destroyed during conflicts. For example in Afghanistan, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Gaza, India, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, schools
are routinely damaged or destroyed during attacks. School children and teachers become target
of attacks. For example in Thailand’s three southernmost provinces in 2008-2009, 63 students
and 24 teachers and education personnel were killed or injured; in Afghanistan, in 2010, 74
children were killed as a result of suicide attacks1. In Nigeria's Borno state, 176 teachers were
killed and 900 schools destroyed since Boko Haram militants intensified their violent attacks in
2011. Boko Haram abducted 276 girls from their school in Chibok in Borno on 14 April 2014.2
In fragile states3, when the whole structure is weakened, teacher management is utterly
problematic. The devastated education infrastructure, the insecurity, the psychosocial impacts
on teachers, learners and communities, the loss of education personnel and competent sector
human resource and fund unavailability contribute to the difficulty of teacher recruitment,
deployment, education, evaluation and teachers’ working condition.
Many international organizations and agencies have been working in these conflict or disaster
affected areas for decades. Some focus on teacher training, when others focus more on
learning process, training/learning content, professional development, teacher support
1
Source: EFA Global Monitoring Report (2011)
Source: News24 (18 July 2014)
3
According to International Monetary Fund, a country suffering any or all of the following adverse conditions—
political and economic instability, poverty, civil disorder, terrorism, human trafficking, or disease—can be labeled a
fragile state.
According to Stefan Wolff, Centre for International Crisis Management and Conflict Resolution, University of
Nottingham, definitions of fragility vary widely, but generally focus on the output dimension. A fragile state then is
one characterized by weak institutions unable to provide basic public goods:
Of sufficient quality (e.g., security, water, healthcare, education, etc.)
Of sufficient reach (across an entire population and/or territory and/or time)
Of sufficient scope (across the whole range of basic public goods)
2
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Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA
2014
(supervision, peer tutoring, refresher training courses, material distribution, psychosocial
support) or even in teacher policies.
UN agencies, such as UNESCO, UNHCR, UNICEF and UNRWA deem it essential to address
teacher challenges in these contexts. Other initiatives are run by international NGO’s and
networks (e.g. Save the Children, INEE) and bilateral development agencies (e.g. AusAid,
USAID, DFID). Faith-based organizations, religious foundations (for example in DR Congo,
Somalia, etc.) are also active in education provision to children, and thus, tackling dimensions of
teacher management.
All these these interventions are laudable in striving, not only to deliver some education, but
also in being more and more concerned with the quality of this education as a basic human
right. However they are far from offering a rounded approach to how to address teacher
management to meet the quality requirement. Worse, the interventions lack coordination and fail
to adequately complement each other and to make sustainable impact. With the unique
mandate of addressing the global teacher challenge through advocacy, coordination and
knowledge sharing, the International Task Force on Teachers as a global alliance of all the
above-mentioned partners and stakeholders has elected to fill this gap.
II.
Justification
It has been a recurrent demand from several countries and organizations, members of the
Teachers Task Force that a programme aiming to support these countries is set up. At the
Windhoek Policy Dialogue Forum held by the Task Force in November 2012, the issue was
raised again. Liberia indicated interest in championing this initiative and coordinating it with the
Secretariat of the Task Force to explore how the programme could evolve.
In the same vein, a specific recommendation came from the Kinshasa Policy Dialogue Forum in
November 2013 to call for the programme to be established as part of the Task Force strategic
plan for2014-2016. The programme is expected to take a realistic, yet comprehensive
approach, including attention to teacher management for conflict prevention, peace building and
reconstruction of teacher education systems.
The International Task Force will work with other organizations and partners that are engaged in
aspects of teacher management in fragile states. The goal is to adopt a participatory process, to
cooperate and coordinate actions to achieve maximum synergy. The programme will draw on
lessons learnt from on-going actions and identify remaining gaps in countries’ priorities.
III.
Objective of the initiative
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Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA
2014
The objective is to develop a programme on teacher management in fragile states based on
country needs and experience of a broad based network of agencies.
IV.
Expected results
The expected results are:
a. Strengthened national capacities of participating countries for the development and
implementation of a comprehensive Teacher Management programme.
b. Increased awareness of teacher management challenges among a diversity of
stakeholders, as fragile States face them.
c. Reinforced Teacher Management programme in targeted countries.
d. Enhanced cooperation, exchange of knowledge and expertise amongst participating
countries, and organizations that work on fragile states’ issues.
V.
Overall approach
The project will start with the development of an action plan on teacher management in an
experts meeting to be held in Monrovia (Liberia) on 23–25 September 2014. About 50
participants including representatives of fragile states, international and regional organizations,
and international experts will take part in the meeting. The Liberian Ministry of Education and
the Secretariat of the International Task Force, with the support of an international expert will
facilitate the discussions that are expected to lead to a framework for teacher management in
fragile states and activities to carry out in implementing the programme. The meeting, based on
challenges, experiences and good practices will discuss initiatives already undertaken in fragile
states from the perspective of the countries and of international organizations. As part of the
action plan to be developed, countries to be involved in piloting the project will be identified.
Interventions will be carried out in alignment with education sector plans of the targeted
countries. Countries’ and partners’ reports on mechanisms put in place and results achieved in
implementing the action plan will constitute the outcomes.
In summary, three principles will guide the action:
a. The process will be country-led and actions will be articulated with existing framework of
education sector plans and national development priorities.
b. It will build on exchange of expertise and experiences from participating entities.
c. It will be results-oriented: concrete actions leading to improved and sustainable
management of teacher education in the beneficiary countries will be the focus.
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Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA
2014
The Experts meeting
The meeting will be co-organized by the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA with the
Government of Liberia and will take place on 23-25 September 2014 in Monrovia, Liberia. It will
mark the launch of the programme.
1. Objective of the experts meeting
The objective is to develop a common understanding of the content and process of the initiative
on teacher management among all stakeholders.
2. Expected outcomes of the experts meeting
The expected outcomes are:
a. Country priorities are identified.
b. Intervention areas of organizations that are already involved in the field are mapped out
c. An action plan is elaborated, including the key components of teacher management as
it applies to fragile states and how the plan will be implemented (as a group or pilot
countries).
d. Pilot countries for implementation of the Teacher Management programme are
identified.
e. A communication strategy for continuous sharing of experiences among the group is
constructed (to be supported by the Teacher Task Force’s website);
f. A role for GEFI (Global Education First Initiative) Champion countries is defined.
g. A Resource mobilization strategy for supporting the action plan is developed.
3. Participants
The experts meeting will gather about 50 participants from fragile states in the International
Task Force membership, experts and organizations with expertise and experience in working in
fragile states.
4.
Meeting Preparation and organizational arrangements
Two questionnaires (one for countries, the other for organizations) are developed to elicit key
issues and priorities of countries and the areas of focus of organizations’ interventions. (see
questionnaires in Annex). Prior to the experts meeting, an analysis of the responses to the
questionnaires will be undertaken by the secretariat. The result will be brought to the meeting as
working document to feed the deliberations in Monrovia.
The meeting will be held in English and French, with simultaneous interpretation.
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Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA
2014
The meeting will include plenary sessions and group sessions. Plenary discussions will be
facilitated by the Task Force secretariat and an international expert. Moderators and rapporteurs
for breakout sessions will be chosen from the participants.
VI.
Global Project Activities and Timeframe
No.
Activities
Dates
1.
Experts meeting in Monrovia, Liberia
Sept 2014
2.
Draft of the action plan and endorsement of the plan
Oct 2014
3.
Piloting the programme and carrying out its monitoring Nov 2014 –
and evaluation
Dec 2015
4.
Report on the programme
Dec 2015
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2014
References
Dolan, Janice, et al. 2012. Building Effective Teacher Salary Systems in Fragile and Conflict- Affected
States. Center for Universal Education at Brookings and CFBT Education Trust 2012. Retrieved
on 1 July 2014 from http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2012/10/fragile-conflict-stateswinthrop
EFA-GRM. 2014. Progress in getting all children to school stalls but some countries show the way
forward. 14(28), June 2014. Paris: UNESCO
EFA GMR Team. 2014. Teaching and learning: achieving quality for all, EFA global monitoring report
2013-2014. Paris: UNESCO
EFA GMR Team. 2011. The hidden crisis: Armed conflict and education, EFA global monitoring report
2011. Paris: UNESCO
EFA Steering Committee Technical Advisory on the post-2015 education indicators. 2014. Monitoring the
Post-2015 Education Targets: A Note on Indicators, presented in the Global Education for All
Meeting (GEM) held in Muscat, Oman, 12 – 14 May 2014
FISKE, Edward B. 2000. Final Report World Education Forum, Dakkar, Senegal, 26-28 April 2000. Paris:
UNESCO
Hewison, Martha. 2009. The Status of Teacher Development in Southern Sudan. Washington:
Management System International. Retrieved on 1 July 2014 from
http://www.ineesite.org/uploads/files/resources/USAID_SS_TPD_report_2009.pdf
McBride, Tania. 2011. Une ingénieure haïtienne aide l'UNICEF à relever le système éducatif de ses
ruines. Séisme en Haïti: rapport un an après. Retrieved on 1 July 2014 from
http://www.unicef.org/french/infobycountry/haiti_57386.html,
Moulton, Jeanne et al. 2006. Delivering Education Services in Fragile States: Lesson from Four Case
Studies. A report produced by Creative Associate International Inc. for review by United States
Agency for International Development (USAID). Retrieved on 1 July 2014 from
http://www.creativeassociatesinternational.com/caiistaff/dashboard_giroadmincaiistaff/dashboard
_caiiadmindatabase/publications/Education_States.pdf
News24. Teachers targeted in Nigeria’s North-East. Retrieved on 18 July 2014 from
http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Teachers-targeted-in-Nigerias-north-east-20140718
Global Education First Initiative, retrieved on 18 July 2014 from http://www.globaleducationfirst.org
UNESCO-IIEP. 2011. Integrating Conflict and DRR into Education Sector Planning. Paris: UNESCO-IIEP
UNESCO-IIEP. 2010. Guidebook for Planning Education in Emergencies and Reconstruction. Retrieved
on 1 July 2014 from http://www.iiep.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Cap_Dev_Technical_Ass
istance/pdf/Guidebook/Guideboook.pdf
Wolff, Stefan. What defines a state as ‘fragile’?. Retrieved on 18 July 2014 from http://www.stefanwolff
.com/files/fragile-states.pdf
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Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA
2014
Annexes
1. Questionnaire for Country Representatives
2. Questionnaire for Organization Representatives
3. Provisional Agenda
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Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA
2014
Annex 1
Teacher Management in Fragile States
Questionnaire for Country Representatives
Title:
Mr.
Ms.
Name:
Surname:
Position:
Institution:
Country:
Email address:
Phone number:
1) Of the list of dimensions of teacher management listed below, select (☒) four (4) that you
consider of highest priority for your country:
Teachers’ availability
Psychosocial support to teachers
Pre-service teacher training
Teaching materials
In-service teacher training
School infrastructure
Teacher recruitment and deployment
Language of instruction
Teachers’ salary / payment
Others (please specify):
Teachers’ security and safety
2) What are some of the policy measures that are implemented in your country to address challenges
related to the issues listed above? (you may send separately relevant documents in annex)
3) What challenges are not sufficiently addressed by the existing policy measures?
4) How do you expect the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA and its partners to support
teacher management in your country?
Thank you for your cooperation!
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Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA
2014
Annex 2
Teacher Management in Fragile States
Questionnaire for Organization Representatives
Title:
Mr.
Ms.
Name:
Surname:
Profession:
Organization:
Email address:
Phone number:
1) Please check (☒) the areas in the list below covered by your organization in its interventions in
favour of Fragile States:
Teachers’ availability
Psychosocial support to teachers
Pre-service teacher training
Teaching materials
In-service teacher training
School infrastructure
Teacher recruitment and deployment
Language of instruction
Teachers’ salary / payment
Others (please specify):
Teacher security and safety
2) In what countries/regions do you implement teacher-related programme(s) targeting fragile
states?
3) What government entities, ministry units, non-governmental organizations and/or development
agencies do you work with on teacher-related issues?
4) What local stakeholders do you work with?
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5) Please, check (☒) the targeted beneficiaries or area(s) of focus of the teacher-related
intervention(s):
Specific ethnic groups
Teachers
Expatriates/foreigners
Refugees
Girls/women
Rural residents
HIV/AIDS or other health issues
People from low income households
People with disabilities
Others (please specify):
Please, use the space below to add any comments on your answers above:
6) Please, select (☒) the education sub-sector(s) targeted by your teacher-related programmes
provided by your organization.
Pre-Primary/Early childhood education
Primary education
Lower-secondary education
Upper-secondary education
Tertiary/higher education
Technical education/vocational training
Adult education/lifelong learning programmes
Thank you for your cooperation!
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Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA
2014
Annex 3
Provisional Agenda
Monday 22nd September 2014
Arrival of participants, Liberian Ministry of Education welcome and transportation
DAY 1 - Tuesday 23rd September 2014
Time
08:45 – 09:15
Responsible person /
Moderator
Item
Registration
Puji Iryanti /Stevenson Seidi
SESSION I: OPENING CEREMONY
Welcome Remarks (8 min.)
Address by Director of UNESCO-Abuja Bureau (7 min.)
09:15 – 10:00
Introduction to the meeting and the initiative by Mr. Edem
Adubra the Head of the Secretariat of the International Task
Force on Teachers for EFA (15 min.)
Liberian Ministry of
Education official
Opening Speech by HE Etmonia David Tarpeh, Minister of
Education of Liberia (15 min.)
10:00 - 10:30
Coffee Break
10:30 – 11:00
SESSION II: (plenary)
TOWARDS THE MAPPING OF PRIORITIES : Presentation of the
review of the pre-meeting questionnaires; structure of the
meeting by the Lead facilitator
UNESCO/TLC/LTR
TBC
11:00 – 12:30
SESSION III: (plenary)
Priority 1 (Topic to be specified)
A country’s experience
An organization’s experience
Q&A
TBD
12:30 – 14:00
Lunch break
14:00 – 15:30
SESSION IV: (plenary)
Priority 2 (Topic to be specified)
A country’s experience
An organization’s experience
Q&A
15:30 – 16:00
Coffee break
16:00 – 17:30
SESSION V: (Breakout sessions)
Discussions on Priority 1 and Priority 2 (in the 2 groups)
TBD
Moderators (for each group):
(to be decided)
Rapporteurs (for each
group): (to be decided)
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Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA
2014
DAY 2 - Wednesday 24th September 2014
Time
9:00 – 10:30
Item
Responsible person /
Moderator
SESSION VI: (plenary)
Report of group discussions on Priority 1 and Priority 2
Presentation by Rapporteurs of Groups A & B
TBD
Outcome of group discussions on Priority 1 and Priority 2
Int’l facilitator and TTF
Secretariat
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee break
11:00 – 12:30
SESSION VII: (plenary)
Priority 3 (Topic to be specified)
A country’s experience
An organization’s experience
Q&A
12:30 – 14:00
Lunch break
14:00 – 15:30
SESSION VIII: (plenary)
Priority 4: (Topic to be specified)
A country’s experience
An organization’s experience
Q&A
15:30 – 16:00
Coffee break
16:00 – 17:30
SESSION IX: (Breakout sessions)
Discussions on Priority 3 and Priority 4 (in two groups)
TBD
TBD
TBD
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Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for EFA
2014
DAY 3 - Thursday 25th September 2014
Item
Time
9:00 – 10:00
Responsible person /
Moderator
SESSION X (plenary)
Report of group discussions on Priority 3 and Priority 4
Presentation by Rapporteurs of Groups C & D
TBD
Outcome of group discussions on Priority 3 and Priority 4
Int’l facilitator and TTF
Secretariat
10:00 – 10:15
Coffee break
10:15 – 12:30
Networking and/or Site visit to schools and institutions (to be
confirmed by MoE
Ministry of Education
(Preparation for the key components of the programmes based
on the discussion on the four priorities)
Facilitator
TTF
ED/LTC/LTR
Group sessions’ rapporteurs
(10:15 – 12:30)
12:30 – 14:00
Lunch break
14:00 – 16:00
Key outcomes of plenary and group sessions
a) Presentation by Lead facilitator
b) Discussions (by all): key components of the
programme on Teacher management in fragile States:
- Priorities identified
- Other issues to include
- Opportunities
- Programme Implementation Modalities
- Resource mobilization
- Communication strategy: exchange of
experiences
- Roles & responsibilities (participating
governments/organizations/development agencies
- Identification of champion
countries/organizations
16:00 – 16:30
Coffee break
16:30 – 17:30
Adoption of recommendation and closing
Int’l facilitator and TTF
Secretariat
Ministry of Education
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