UNESCO continues to build the capacity of educators to ensure learners get the best quality education and the learning environment is safe and conducive for both boys and girls of various ages. Recently, Zambia’s Ministry of Education collaborated with UNESCO through the CapED Programme in conducting a Gender Responsive Pedagogy (GRP) Master Trainers Workshop in Chipata, Eastern Province of Zambia from 13 to 16 December, 2022 The event was attended by 40 in service teachers and teacher educators with the objective of equipping teachers with knowledge and competencies on effective mainstreaming of GRP in their teaching practice and application of gender responsive methodologies that ensure inclusiveness and equal participation of both girls and boys in teaching and learning processes thereby promoting a safe learning environment for both girls and boys in Zambia.
A selected team of officials and teachers from the Ministry of Education and a GRP training expert from the Independent Schools Association of Zambia (ISAZ) was joined by UNESCO’s CapED National Coordinator in facilitating the training and monitoring the quality of training.
The Provincial Senior Education Officer (SEO), Mr. Thomas Mkandawire, accompanied by Mrs Cynthia Kakonkanya – Education Standards Officer, welcomed training participants and delivered opening remarks on behalf of the Provincial Education Officer (PEO), Mr. Brinley Malambo. He expressed his gratitude to UNESCO for supporting the training of teachers in GRP as a contribution towards the improvement in the quality of teachers and learning in the province. The SEO emphasized the need for participants’ commitment to utilizing the knowledge and skills for addressing the specific learning needs of both learners in the classroom situation and help to develop teaching practices that engender equitable treatment of both girls and boys within the school community. Mr Thomas Mkandawire ended his remarks by appealing to all participants to optimize opportunities accorded them for the benefit of their respective schools and learners. The UNESCO CapED Coordinator underscored that quality teachers and gender are one of UNESCO’s key priorities in the education sector.
The training covered, among other aspects, the conceptual and normative framework of gender including human rights issues, meaning of GRP; gender responsive language use in a school setting; gender responsive pedagogy and learning; understanding sexual maturation and adolescence through a gender lens; gender responsive teaching and learning materials; gender responsive lesson planning; engaging stakeholders and advocacy; and school level GRP action planning, monitoring and evaluation and among other elements to be covered during the training. Teachers and educators trained will be grouped into zones to develop activity plans based on action points identified during the group presentations and plenary sessions which will be followed by cascading of trainings to respective school zones.