Working Group on the Teaching Profession
(Anglophone Section)

---

The Working Group on the Teaching Profession is divided in two sections: an anglophone section (WGTP/as) and a francophone section (WGTP/fs). For infomation on WGTP/fs click here.

In many countries of sub-Saharan Africa, teachers’ condition in terms of management, benefits and professional support are poor. Irregular pay, crowded classrooms, and lack of pedagogical support are some of the daily constraints faced by most teachers in Africa. These shortcomings are undermining teachers’ motivation and performance and inhibiting the provision of quality basic education.

Furthermore, rapidly growing populations and restricted budgets are leaving scant resources for the improvement of teachers’ condition. Optimizing existing resources has thus become a foremost concern. The Working Group on the Teaching Profession strives for the effective management of personnel resources and the establishment of environments conducive to better teaching and learning.

What is the Working Group on the Teaching Profession?

The Working Group on the Teaching Profession (WGTP) was created in 1989. It is composed of a steering group of permanent secretaries, leaders of regional and country Working Groups, and development agencies and other stakeholders interested in issues related to the management and professional support of practicing teachers. These meet periodically to review the activities of the WGTP and take decisions on future activities. Proposals for activities coming from country working groups are presented to regional groups for discussion, guidance and final endorsement.

What are the objectives of the Working Group?

The WGTP seeks to improve the quality of basic education in sub-Saharan Africa by helping African ministries of education, NGOs, and the private education sector create an enabling teacher management and support system and an improved teaching and learning environment for all teachers and pupils. This can be achieved through professionalizing the teaching force, reinforcing teacher support delivery mechanisms, and encouraging the development of new policies, strategies and practices aimed at improving the quality of the conditions under which teachers serve.

What does the Working Group do?

Since 1993, the Working Group on the Teaching Profession, anglophone section (WGTP/as) has been engaged in a program called Teacher Management and Support (TMS). The program aims at producing country action plans that address key issues related to teacher management and support. After careful negotiation, consultation and consensus-building among donors, ministries of education and teacher’s organizations on key TMS issues, the Working Group and ministries of education have identified several issues affecting teachers’ performance, and conditions of service. More recently, the WGTP has taken on board HIV/AIDs issues and qualitative issues and problems affecting the teaching practice. Countries participating in the program are: Botswana, Ghana, Gambia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Sierra Leone has expressed interest in rejoining the TMS program. Activities include:

Advocacy
Between 1989 and 1999 the WGTP mounted a large-scale advocacy program on teacher management and support. As part of their activities on consensus building and action on TMS, the WGTP consulted with ministries of education on Teacher Management and Support issues. The group helped develop a country handbook on TMS issues; establish country working groups in ministries of education; and develop country action plans on TMS issues. Between 1994 and 1999 several meetings were held to coordinate and review the progress of activities.

Research
Since 1995 the WGTP has undertaken teacher management and support studies that address specific issues and problems in the teaching profession. This is an ongoing program. So far, studies have been undertaken in several countries in the areas of head teacher training; program evaluation; baseline studies on teacher resource centers; needs assessment surveys of gender issues; legal frameworks of teacher management and teacher management structures. Other planned studies include a comparative study of codes of ethics/conduct for teachers, education sector responses to HIV/AIDS; case studies in school inspection and supervisory services; teacher resource centers; deployment of teachers; and school-based management and professional development.

Networking and Professional Exchange
Through various consultations, meetings and exchanges, WGTP has facilitated networking and sharing of experiences since 1993. This has enabled unprecedented professional interaction between anglophone, francophone, and lusophone educationists, and has contributed to giving African educators a better understanding of TMS issues and initiatives across the sub-region.

Capacity building
A major criticism of education in the sub-region is its weak capacity to meet the challenges of education development, both at the institutional level, and among professionals serving in different roles. Therefore a major task of the TMS process is to build capacity in different areas in response to management and professional training needs identified by ministries of education. The TMS process also emphasizes diversified local training and technical support, supports regional cooperation in capacity building and supports resource materials development.

Working Group Publications

Click here for a list of reports of meetings and publications. Full text copies are available for selected publications and reports of meetings.

There is a continuing need to develop analytical skills on TMS issues and problems at all levels and to develop resource materials that would support local initiatives in the professional development of staff. WGTP has facilitated the development of a number of publications that contribute to improving the condition of the teaching profession. The most recent training manuals and modules written by teams of writers from participating countries include:
• Creating A Professional Teaching Service, 1999
• A Reference Manual for Teacher Managers, 1999
• Teacher Management and Support Newsletters 1997, 1998, 1999.
• Teacher Management and Support in Sub-Saharan Africa: a bibliography of publications, 1985-2001, (forthcoming).
• Analysis of a Baseline Study on Teachers Resource Centres in Southern Africa, (forthcoming).
• Generating a Knowledge Bank on Education Sector Responses to HIV/AIDS, (forthcoming).

How to contact the Working Group on the Teaching Profession (Anglophone section)

For more information please contact:

WG Coordinator
Mr. Virgilio Zacarias JUVANE
Commonwealth Secretariat
Social Transformation Programmes Division
Marlborough House, Pall Mall
SW1Y 5HX London, UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6220
Cell: +44 (0)77 7858 7343
E-mail: v.juvane@commonwealth.int