Teacher representatives

Teachers are an essential resource for ensuring a quality education for every child and a critical part of the Global Partnership for Education.

Teachers are represented in GPE through Education International, the world’s largest sectoral organization of teacher unions.

Government-led education sector plans set out sector reforms and strategies with significant implications for teachers. It is therefore critical that teachers be involved in the country-level dialogue and decision-making processes supported by GPE.

The role of teachers in GPE

GPE helps teachers engage in policy dialogue at national and global level by addressing issues that are of critical importance to them such as training, teaching aids and materials, pedagogical support, curriculum, teacher recruitment and career paths.

Representatives of the teaching profession engage both at global and country level, including in the GPE board, to make GPE a stronger, better and more inclusive partnership.

The role of teachers in GPE’s country-level work

At country level, GPE supports the development, implementation and monitoring of government-led education sector plans. GPE is committed to working with teachers in the long term to promote their effective inclusion in local education groups across GPE partner countries.

The role teachers play in GPE at country level differs from context to context depending on how teachers and local education groups are organized and how open governments and other partners are towards the engagement of teacher organizations.

Through representation in local education groups, teacher organizations can be helpful in sector diagnostics, policy development, and monitoring of implementation.

Given their presence in schools, teachers can quickly identify shortcomings in the implementation of a new policy or identify unintended consequences of new approaches that require remedial action.

Teachers’ accountabilities

In 2019, GPE’s Board of Directors adopted an Accountability Matrix to clarify what is expected from different stakeholders to enable GPE to achieve its vision and goals. These accountabilities were then added to the GPE Charter.

There are no specific accountabilities for representatives of the teaching profession, but accountabilities of civil society partners are relevant for teachers both for partnership and for GPE grants.

Delivering on these accountabilities depends on the space provided by governments and other partners for teachers to engage.

View accountabilities

Teachers’ engagement in practice

There are various ways to find out how to connect with GPE processes in a specific country.

When trying to engage in policy dialogue, teachers’ organizations are often faced with structural, cultural and practical challenges.

GPE promotes and monitors meaningful inclusion of teacher organizations in local education groups.

It is important to open the door to teacher representation and to then support building trust and meaningful engagement over time.

GPE has varying degrees of influence across different partner countries, but the power of partnership can make a difference.

Resources

Download paper on role of teacher representatives (PDF)