Teacher development in Zambia

Author:

Dr Lore Gallastegi is an Education Lecturer at The OU and project lead.

Lore Gallastegi

The Open University is developing a one-year school-based teacher development programme in Zambia.

Open University staff visited our partners World Vision Zambia as part of a set of meetings intended to kick-start the Zambian Education School-based Training (ZEST) project.

During the visit we met with colleagues in both the Lusaka and Kabwe offices with whom we will be working closely throughout this four and a half year project.

The picture below was taken at the World Vision Zambia Kabwe office:

From left to right: Kalimansi Sinyangwe (Area Programme Manager, World Vision Zambia Kabwe); Gladys Chanda (Development Facilitator, WVZ Kabwe); Chaangu Kashewe-Daka (Project coordinator, WVZ Lusaka); Lore Gallastegi (Academic lead, OU in Scotland); Misheck Mwanza N (Technical specialist, WVZ Lusaka); Olivier Biard (Senior Project Manager, OU).

ZEST, which has received funding of almost £1.3 million from the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund, will work with primary teachers, head teachers, local and district officials and the Zambian Ministry of General Education to develop a one-year school-based teacher development programme.

The programme will guide teachers to use student-centred learning approaches in the classroom with resources available in different formats (including print, SD cards, and online) for use by primary teachers in Zambia’s Central Province.

The picture above was taken at Chibombo zonal school. From left to right: Alex Mulenga (Dep. Head Teacher at Chibombo zonal school, in Chibombo district, Central Province); Chaangu Kashewe-Daka (Project coordinator, WVZ Lusaka); Kalimansi Sinyangwe (Area Programme Manager, WVZ Kabwe).

During this initial trip we had the opportunity to visit a number of schools in different zones in Central Province to understand better the reality of the schools and teachers who will be participating in our project.

We saw and learned a lot and this will help to ensure that the project is appropriate and impactful in the local context.