In the framework of this project the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in partnership with UNESCO through the National Commission for UNESCO, the Gambia Teachers Union, the Gambia College worked to develop and facilitate the implementation of the Teacher Policy.
Knowing that the International Teacher Taskforce in collaboration with UNESCO developed a “Teacher Policy Development Guide” that is very comprehensive and adaptable this guide was used to shape the development of the teacher policy from the planning, consultation and implementation levels. It is comprehensively focused on nine key dimensions:
teacher recruitment and retention; teacher education (initial and continuing);
teacher deployment; career structure/path;
teacher employment; and work conditions;
teacher reward and remuneration; teacher standards;
teacher accountability; and school governance
These dimensions will help to holistically respond to teacher matters that all school types and ownerships can align themselves with. Moreover, the issues raised in Target 4.c and in the Incheon Declaration, which specifically calls for Member States to “ensure that teachers and educators are empowered, adequately recruited, well-trained, professionally qualified, motivated and supported within well-resourced, efficient and effectively governed systems” would be adequately addressed with the development of a comprehensive teacher policy.
The objective was to develop a teacher policy for the Gambia that will help
- To support teachers to enhance their professionalism;
- To improve teacher retention;
- To lay clear standards for operation;
- Ensure effective and harmonized teacher coordination and management.
