In many developing countries, the increased enrolment of pupils in recent years has not been met by an increase in qualified teachers. Rather, to meet rapid expansions of student populations, large numbers of un- and under-qualified teachers have been recruited in recent years by governments in Sub-Saharan Africa.
These teachers often face overcrowded classrooms, under-resourced schools lacking appropriate facilities, and poor pay and working conditions, which combined not only negatively influence teachers’ motivation and status but, in the long run, seriously undermine the quality of education provided.
Education International (EI) strongly believes that the delivery of quality education requires qualified teachers.
The research highlights the importance of in-service training of teachers in upgrading programmes. It argues that their success depends strongly on student-teachers receiving sufficient mentoring, as well as the adequate provisions of teaching and learning materials and capacity building. Upgrading programmes can be more effective with the appropriate involvement of mentors and teachers in their development and the continuous evaluation of their impact.