1. Support to in-service teacher training.

This seeks to integrate Learning through Play (LtP) in the primary in-service teacher training programme through the national School-based Mentorship Programme. As part of this programme component, district, sector and school stakeholders including head teachers and directors of studies as well as School-General Assembly Committee members are being mobilized to support LtP which is a pedagogical approach involving judicious usage of play as a pedagogical approach to involve learners in learning activities during the teaching and learning process facilitating them to achieve learning outcomes. Particularly, Sector and School-based Mentors who are also teachers are being supported to use play-based teaching approaches, as well as supporting other teachers to use the same pedagogical approach, for improved learning outcomes for primary school children in all public and Government-supported schools.

2. Support to pre-service teacher training

This is being implemented in 16 Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs), which have recently received the revised competence-based curriculum.

Across all four options of Early Childhood and Lower Primary Education (ECLPE), Social Studies Education (SSE), Languages Education (LE) and Science and Mathematics Education (SME), UNICEF supported IEE Pedagogical Advisors based at each TTC are supporting the following:

• Technical capacity building for tutors and student teachers (with emphasis on learner-centred pedagogical approaches including the use of play for learning) in accordance to the TTC revised curriculum);
• Conducting TTC-based Continuous Professional Development (CPDs) around ECLPE, SSE, LE, SME and cross-cutting Teaching Methods and Practices, and professional standards for teachers and student teachers to ensure they are well prepared to implement the basic education curriculum, before they graduate and get certified.
• Facilitating microteaching sessions for teacher trainees (A form of practicum whereby a pre-service teacher teaches a lesson or part of a lesson to fellow pre-service teachers. This will be at the TTCs amongst student teachers, to increase their content mastery and confidence levels in facilitating teaching)
• Facilitating remedial support to student teachers with emphasis on effective lesson planning, gathering and making teaching and learning materials, assessment for and of learning as well as professional and career guidance mentorship.
• Strengthening practicums/ teaching practice (capacity development of Tutors, student teachers and teachers from demonstration schools).
• For sustainability of this support, TTCs are being supported with sustained Student-teacher centred teaching and learning and formative teaching practice at demonstration schools as well as summative teaching practice at the end of their third year, as well as establishment of communities of practice for Tutors and student teachers to support each other’s skill development through TTC-based continuous professional development (CPD). Particularly, student teachers are being introduced to CPD so as to be active participants in CPD as in-service teachers in accordance with the national School-based Mentorship Programme.

As part of this programme, UNICEF is also supporting:

a) Nationalization and rollout of the Teacher Management Information System (TMIS). This includes support to data cleaning for the academic year 2021-2022 and training support to raise awareness around TMIS utilization for national and district stakeholders across the districts: REB staff, Human Resource Officers/ Data Specialists.

b) Integration of integrating Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) in teaching and learning in pre-primary. UNICEF is supporting this through development of a STEM guide for pre-primary, as well as field-testing pre-primary STEM learning in 10 pre-primary schools/ECE centers constructed with the support of UNICEF. ECE teachers will be trained on STEM kits to pave the way to STEM rollout.