By Wendi Cui, on 16 May 2016

Left to right: Mr. Stephen Njoroge, Director of CEMASTEA, Dr. Yumiko Yokozeki, Director of IICBA, 
and Mr. Velaphi Mamba, Education Programme Manager, OSISA

Director of CEMASTEA Mr. Stephen Njoroge, Executive Secretary of FAWE Ms. Hendrina Dorobo, and Education Programme Manager of OSISA Mr. Velaphi Mamba visited UNESCO IICBA in Addis Ababa after an AUC meeting on teachers’ issues held on 11 May. IICBA Director met the educationalists, viewing potential collaboration among agencies on teacher development in Africa.

During the meeting, an in-depth discussion was held on teacher related issues, and participants agreed on the central role of teachers in quality education in Africa. The educationalists learnt about IICBA’s major working fields and good practices in teacher training, and expressed interest in collaborating with IICBA at agency level to promote teacher development, in contribution to the SDG 4. The educationalists also enjoyed visiting the historical sites in the ECA compound including the African Hall.

Though mandated with different missions, the three international agencies share with IICBA the commitment of achieving quality education through promoting teacher education in Africa. The CEMASTEA (Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa) is mandated to build and enhance capacity of teachers through providing and coordinating quality developmental programmes in Kenya and other African countries. The FAWE (Forum for African Women Educationalists) seeks to promote gender equity and equality in education in Africa, in which teachers play a key role. The OSISA’s (Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa) education programme recognizes education as a basic right which is important for its own sake as well as playing a powerful part in fostering open societies.

IICBA, partnering with CEMASTEA, FAWE, and OSISA, is participating in the study on Training, Working and Living Conditions of Teachers in the Member States in Africa, responding to the call by a decision of Heads of States and Governments on improving the conditions for the Teacher in Africa. Further collaboration of the agencies in teacher development can be expected.

Related links:

CEMASTEA: http://www.cemastea.ac.ke/

FAWE: http://www.fawe.org/index.php

OSISA Education: http://www.osisa.org/Programme/education