With the number of young people in Africa’s workforce set to increase to 375 million by 2030, there is an urgent need to improve the quality secondary education on the continent. While Africa’s enrolment figures in secondary education have been increasing, quality of learning remains extremely low. Millions of students graduate lacking the necessary knowledge and skills to advance to further education or the workforce.
Current learning deficits can be offset by investing in innovative and relevant teacher training and capacity building. Mastercard Foundation’s ‘Leaders in Teaching’ initiative develops and supports passionate, highly skilled, and motivated teachers and school leaders across the African continent. The Foundation works closely with local and national stakeholders on this.
The first country-level programme of Leaders in Teaching is in Rwanda. Through comprehensive teacher training, 250,000 secondary school students will benefit from a relevant secondary education. Mastercard Foundation has commissioned VVOB to focus on the continuous professional development of school leaders and teachers in secondary education.
Teachers and school leaders in secondary education benefit from improved delivery, sustainability and institutionalisation of continuous professional development services through effective diploma courses and professional learning communities.
VVOB’s role in Leaders in Teaching centres on raising the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders in secondary education by improving the delivery, sustainability and institutionalisation of continuous professional development (CPD) services.
The project is built around four pillars:
- CPD diploma or certificate courses for school and sector leaders
- professional learning communities of head teachers, led by trained sector and district education officers
- CPD certificate courses for school-based mentors, department heads, and subject leaders
- professional learning communities for teachers at targeted schools
By the end of the Leaders in Teaching initiative in Rwanda:
- Sector and district education officers, school-based mentors, and STEM heads of department and school subject leaders will be trained in coaching, mentoring and professional learning communities to strengthen their support to school leaders.
- (Deputy) head teachers will:
- have undertaken a CPD diploma course on School Leadership at URCE;
- participate in professional learning communities at sector level.
- URCE academic staff will offer quality diploma and certificate level training to education leaders.
- Newly qualified teachers will receive enhanced mentorship and support as well as opportunities to participate in professional learning communities led by school-based mentors and school subject leaders.
To reach its goals, VVOB Rwanda develops the capacity of its education partners. VVOB uses capacity development trajectories that give partners maximal responsibility in the execution and management of their own change processes. This is done through technical assistance provided by the VVOB Rwanda team, which includes both local and international educational and change management experts.
