Latin America and the Caribbean will hold a Regional Consultation on the International Guidance Framework for the Formulation and Use of Professional Standards and Norms for Teaching from July 17 to 19 in Georgetown, Guyana. The event takes place thanks to the collaboration of UNESCO and the Secretariat of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The meeting has its origin in the efforts of UNESCO, together with the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 (Teacher Task Force) and Education International, to build a framework of guidance which will support governments and teacher organizations to:
- Agree and implement a common understanding on teaching and teaching quality;
- Ensure the quality of teacher training curricula and qualifications through standards describing skill profiles at different stages of the teaching career; and,
- Safeguard a joint regulation of the teaching profession by detailing the mechanisms of governance and accountability to ensure the provision of quality teacher training and, consequently, quality teaching.
Background
A well-trained and qualified teaching workforce is at the heart of goal 4c of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education). To achieve this, UNESCO Member States have requested an international guidance framework to develop national or regional education standards to help countries increase the supply of qualified teachers.
To do this, it is necessary to draw up standards for professional teaching that describe what teachers should know and should be able to do, and define desirable levels of performance at different stages of their career. These standards can serve to assess teacher performance and identify professional development needs, as well as provide a framework that supports continuous professional growth and teaching in general. These standards can also be used by governments, teacher training institutions and guild organizations to ensure a well-trained and professional teaching workforce.
In order to carry out this guidance framework, UNESCO first commissioned a study to review the research and policy literature on teaching standards. In addition, it commissioned a mapping and comparative analysis of ongoing national and regional frameworks, and consultations through online questionnaires.
The second phase of the project includes regional consultation workshops such as the one held in Africa (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 18-19 2019) and the one to be held in Guyana in July. These consultations include teachers, teacher organizations, education planners, education regulatory councils and researchers, who will review and comment on the guidance framework to refine it and recommend approaches for local adaptations. This social dialogue serves to ensure that teachers and their organisations are part of decision-making processes in the development and implementation of instruments affecting the profession.
Subsequently to these regional consultations, a group of international experts will review and discuss the contributions generated from the discussions of the stakeholders. This process will thus provide guidance for further development and refinement of the international framework.
Other regional events in Guyana
The meeting in Guyana will also be the occasion for the realization of a consultation on the educational standards of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in terms of teachers, teacher trainers, educational leaders and curriculum for early childhood.
Also, the Guyanese capital will be the venue of the Meeting of the Regional Focal Points of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030, which will develop mechanisms for better articulation between the Working Group of Teachers (Teacher Task Force) with the regional structures of UNESCO and necessities for the achievement of SDG 4 among other regional initiatives.
Asimismo, la capital guyanesa será sede de la Reunión de los Puntos Focales Regionales del Grupo de Trabajo Internacional para Docentes para la Educación 2030, los que desarrollarán mecanismos para una mejor articulación entre el Grupo de Trabajo de Docentes (Teacher Task Force) con las estructuras regionales de la UNESCO y las necesarias para del ODS 4 entre otras iniciativas regionales.