Training the Teachers
Educators from Africa and China meet in Beijing to develop strategies for educational development amid di&culties
Equitable, inclusive and high-quality education is recognised as a vital factor for achieving all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations for 2030, and is central to global concerns. However, in a large number of countries, there is a significant gap between the current reality and the target for education set in SDG 4. As emphasised at the UN’s Education Transformation Summit 2022, this pressing issue underscores the necessity for radical change in education systems worldwide.
With this in view, 10 deans of education faculties from 10 African countries, 13 Chinese university counterparts, and UNESCO representatives convened at Beijing Normal University on 15 November 2023 for the 2023 China-Africa Deans of Education Forum. They discussed contemporary educational issues, with a special emphasis on innovation, social cohesion, and the transformative role of educators. Through sharing experiences and expertise, participants aim to synergise effiorts to identify innovative solutions.
Innovation, a major challenge
Several speakers at the forum highlighted the critical role of technology and innovation in achieving SDG 4, amidst the many challenges facing education today.
Quentin Wodon, director of the UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA), opened the proceedings by citing Adeola Adefemi, an English teacher in Nigeria, on the urgency of incorporating technology into education. Adefemi, recipient of the 2023 AU Continental Teacher Award, expressed a desire to have technology incorporated into her teaching methods sooner rather than later. “Embracing educational technology can enhance the learning experience, engage students on diffierent levels, and better prepare them for the digital world,” she stated.
Beatrice Ifeoma Ajufo, dean of the School of Education at the University of The Gambia, emphasised the necessity of training upcoming educators to be able to perform in a digital education setting, ultimately providing equal opportunities for their pupils. However, she highlighted the poor digital literacy levels in Africa,
with fewer than one-fifth of schools having access to the Internet, and less than a third of schools owning computers for educational use. Therefore, she urged for a collaborative endeavour to incorporate technology into teacher training.
Xun Yuan, executive associate dean of the Faculty of Education at East China Normal University, emphasised the concept of boundaryless learning, an Internet-based education concept aimed at offiering universal access to learning resources. He asserted that wide adoption of the Internet, ICT and new media in education is pivotal for a true educational revolution.
Education in underserved regions
In addition to innovation, another focus of the meeting was the availability of teachers. The first Global Report on Teachers published by UNESCO in 2023 states that another 15 million teachers at all learning levels are needed in Sub-Saharan Africa to attain the SDG 4. This deficiency is primarily due to the swift growth in the school-age population, aggravated by financial limitations.
This worldwide predicament also affects China, particularly in its underdeveloped and rural areas. To address this issue, the country has implemented a variety of measures, such as a free teacher education policy which was introduced in 2007. Since the launch of the National Training Programme for teachers in 2010, effiorts have been concentrated on enhancing teacher quality, especially in rural areas. Capitalising on this progress, Beijing Normal University launched the Qiangshi Plan in 2022, which aims to grow the number of teachers at the primary education level.
Zhu Xudong, dean of the Faculty of Education at Beijing Normal University, said his institution is collaborating with teacher training institutions at all levels to guarantee the success of the new plan. Their aim is to provide targeted and precise training for teachers from less-developed regions, along with long-term and lifelong support.
Kusi Hinneh, dean of the School of Education and Life-Long Learning at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) in Ghana, highlighted comparable challenges in the rural regions of his country. A lot of trained individuals are hesitant to work in these areas unless there are financial incentives. “We have introduced new programmes in the past five years to tackle the substandard teaching and learning quality. The main problem is funding, which has affiected the level of commitment of many people in rural areas,” he
Since the launch of the National Training Programme for teachers in 2010, e%orts have been concentrated on enhancing teacher quality, especially in rural areas.