RFTA background.

Teachers are one of the biggest investments in education systems in Africa. Evidence points consistently to the impact that effective and quality teaching has on improving learning outcomes. But teachers and teaching across the African continent are confronted with several adverse and constraining factors that undermine their ability to teach and to facilitate learning. These factors are broadly seen across the continent but the conditions and context in which they manifest vary from country to country. 

These challenges break down into two broad categories: 

• those related to the broader management, planning and governance of the education system and the impact on teachers, their careers and working environment (teacher policies, teacher professional norms and standards, teacher working conditions and remuneration, recruitment and deployment);
• and those related to service delivery and the quality of teaching in schools and classrooms (initial teacher education and continuous professional development, school leadership and management, quality assurance mechanisms).

To address these challenges, the European Commission has launched the Regional Teacher Initiative for Africa (RTIA) to be jointly implemented by a pool of EU member state agencies, along with UNESCO and the African Union Commission (AUC). The unprecedented investment, that should reach 100 million euros over a 6 years of programme, aims to contribute to improve learning outcomes and the socio-emotional development of children in Africa, by having a more competent, motivated and inclusive teacher workforce in basic education. 

The RTIA will especially seek to achieve the following outcomes:

1.    Improve the governance, management, attractiveness and gender balance of the teaching profession, with a strong focus on increased digitalisation and innovation.

2.    Enhance the quality, relevance and effectiveness of initial and continuous teacher professional development, notably through digital education, peer-to-peer learning approaches and regional collaboration.

In this regard, the Initiative is aligned with EU's development and cooperation policy framework as laid out in the European Consensus on Development (2017) and its core objectives of poverty eradication and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda. It will primarily contribute to the achievement of SDG 4 (ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all), and in particular to target 4.c (substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small-island developing States). The RTIA is furthermore aligned with the comprehensive ten-year Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 2016-25) adopted by the African Union Commission (AUC) which underlines that the improvement of quality of teaching is a main priority for the African continent and has as its number 1 strategic objective to revitalize the teaching profession to ensure quality and relevance at all levels of education. 

Within the broader programme, the Regional Facility for Teachers in Africa (RFTA) complements other components of the Initiative to support teacher policy and improve teacher education and professional development systems by i) providing capacity building at country level through technical assistance, ii) promoting innovation and scaling of effective teaching solutions; iii) increasing the production and use of data and evidence, and iv) promoting the use of regional frameworks, evidence-based practices and joint learning at regional level.

RFTA objectives.

The Regional Facility for Teachers in Africa (RFTA) will reach the above-mentioned objectives through 3 types of instruments or “windows”: 

 i)  Window 1 will deliver technical assistance on teacher governance and teacher education and professional development on the basis of the demand from eligible partner countries, 

ii) Window 2 will concentrate on testing and scaling effective programs for teacher education and professional development in the thematic areas of digital skills, gender, green skills, and pedagogical skills, including in the context of refugees and displaced populations,

iii) Window 3 will fuel African- European cooperation in research to create new evidence and support the integration of evidence in the policy making process and in the design of teacher education and professional development programs.

In addition to these Windows, the Facility’s knowledge management and communication activities will further contribute to the sharing of knowledge, evidence, and best practices related to the overall Initiative outcomes.