A systemic approach to teacher development – the UNRWA way
This case study was collected as part of Teachers in Crisis Contexts (TiCC) Event Series to share compelling examples of programs and practices that positively influence improvements in teachers’ work conditions and teaching practice. For more case studies, click here.
The context in which UNRWA provides education in each of its five Fields of operation presents both generic and specific challenges which have to be taken into account in all its planning.
The Education Reform sought to strengthen the UNRWA education system, in order to ensure that each and every child realizes their full potential. The reform addressed three key levels – policy, strategy/ structural level, and individual capacity development. Interrelated but defined programmatic areas were determined to address teachers, curriculum, student assessment, student inclusion and well-being. Strengthened planning, monitoring and evaluation, and measurement of impact underpinned all levels and in each, the role of the teacher was central.
To explicitly address this central role, an UNRWA Teacher Policy was developed. The policy provides a framework for teacher management, professional development, career progression, and well-being. In so doing, it seeks to strengthen both the day-to-day, and longer term, professional support system for all teachers, by providing teacher toolkits, such as those for Inclusive Education and Human Rights and Conflict Resolution and Tolerance, and ensuring opportunities for career progression through its flagship School-Based Teacher Development (SBTD) and Leading for the Future (LftF) programmes.