Elita Chikwati Senior Reporter
Southern Africa is working towards the development of a comprehensive Regional Teacher Policy Framework for Teachers and Teacher Training. This came out at the two-day Southern Africa conference on teacher policies, standards and competences being hosted by UNESCO with support from the SADC secretariat. The conference is being held in Harare.

Education representatives from Zimbabwe, Namibia, Malawi, Lesotho, Mozambique and South Africa are attending the conference.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora said the meeting was important as it emphasised on the fundamental areas of education that had the potential to maximise on the quality of results that education systems are expected to deliver in each of members countries and beyond. He said the Regional Policy Framework for Teachers and Teacher Training was being developed in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SGD4.

Minister Dokora said Zimbabwe was carrying out substantial education sector reforms intended to create a conducive teaching and learning environment for both teachers and learners to improve the quality of outcomes.

He said the ministry, after consultations, realised the need for learners to be equipped with skills, competences and values that enabled them to meet their own needs, the needs of the work place and those of the nation in general.

“The new curriculum promotes respect, gender sensitivity, accountability, honesty, discipline, hard work and self initiative. “It has introduced new learning areas such as visual and performing arts, physical education sport mathematics and science as one learning area at infant level and family heritage studies among others.

“This is intended to ensure there is sufficient depth and width in the curriculum to allow various talents of our learners to be developed to the greatest extent. The new curriculum will be rolled out in 2017,” he said.

He said the regional framework should consider the context of each country and be guided by global and members countries proven best practices. Director and Representative for UNESCO Regional Office in Southern Africa Professor Hubert Gijzen said the teacher was central in all processes to achieve inclusive quality education and lifelong learning.

“This realisation underlines why all efforts are galvanised at wanting to have a teacher who is a catalyst for learning and a source of inspiration to millions of learners in our schools and other institutions of learning. It is important that teachers have knowledge, skills, standards and competencies. This is why UNESCO focuses on teacher policy frameworks, standards and competencies,” he said.

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