Education Quality Improvement Project launched
The project aims to develop the capacity of tutors in government Teacher Training Colleges and student teachers to communicate in English.
The Directorate of Teacher Education (Ministry of Education and Vocational Training - MoEVT), the British Council, VSO and the UK Department for International Development have developed EQUIP-T ELT to help address quality issues in primary and secondary education in Tanzania. The project aims to improve the capacity of school students by improving the quality of teaching. This will be achieved by developing the capacity of tutors in government Teacher Training Colleges and student teachers to communicate in English and extend their teaching capability to teach.
The project outputs include:
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Produce new and revised training materials to support the teaching of English, roll them out in every teacher training college and present to MoEVT for national distribution
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Produce a new and revised Baseline, the six-week Form 1 orientation course. Train a core group of trainers to support cascade to Form 1 teachers
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Revise in-service training materials for Standard 3-7 primary school teachers of English
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Strengthen tutors’ and student teachers’ English language capacity
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Provide tutors and student teachers access to a wider variety of pedagogical tools
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Ensure that Teacher Training Colleges develop a quality framework to implement strategic plans and performance management processes
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Enable Government Teacher Training Colleges to market and provide needs analyses and in-service training modules for schools and private Teacher Training Colleges
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Undertake associated research regarding optimal training methodologies, curriculum development, outreach services for teachers and mechanisms to improve retention of managers and tutors to inform MoEVT planning
The project will deliver these outputs through high quality coaching support, combined with training interventions. Tutors will be supported to pass on their knowledge and skills to future cohorts of student teachers. The student teachers who receive this training will be encouraged to act as peer trainers when they are posted to schools. It will promote sustainable, low-cost methods and teaching tools that are easily integrated into Government education plans. The project will further strengthen a culture of learning and accountability.
The project is scheduled to last for up to four years. The achievements by the end of the project will include:
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Almost 700 000 school students transitioning to Form 1 during the course of the project will have benefitted from the updated Baseline course
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35 000 primary school teachers of English (Standards 3-7) have improved English and teaching skills
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70 000 primary and secondary school student teachers in Government Teacher Training Colleges will have improved their English and teaching skills
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More than 1 500 Teacher Training College tutors will have improved their English skills and their capacity to train
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More than 500 Academic Heads in government Teacher Training Colleges will have improved capacity to deliver quality teaching
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350 Heads and teachers at model schools will have the capacity to deliver the Baseline
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220 school inspectors will have been briefed to evaluate teacher performance and use of the new materials and methodologies.
All 34 government Teacher Training Colleges are involved in the project. Each Teacher Training College will work with a resident British Council English Language Teacher Trainer. Each zone will receive support from a team of VSO professional volunteers who will work alongside colleagues in the Teacher Training Colleges. Each VSO team will comprise of a leadership and management facilitator as well as two quality teaching facilitators.
A project office will be based in the MoEVT, Directorate of Teacher Education. The project team will work in consultation with project stakeholders, including: Prime Minister’s Office - Regional Administration and Local Government, Tanzania Institute of Education and other MoEVT Directorates to ensure alignment with Tanzania’s education system and to facilitate adoption of best practice.
The project will be delivered by the Directorate of Teacher Education (Ministry of Education and Vocational Training), the British Council and VSO. The project has been funded with the generous support of the UK Department for International Development, and contributions from the British Council, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training and VSO.