Japan’s “Education for All” supports professional teacher development in Homs
“Before the establishment of the centers, teachers had to travel long distances to one center where they were accommodated in shifts,”
Thanks to a generous contribution from the government of Japan, seven UN agencies came together under the “Education for All” programme to increase access for children and young people to quality learning, skills-building and participation, including those living in hard to reach and besieged areas.
The programme is the first to consolidate the efforts of UNICEF, WFP, UNFPA, UNHCR, FAO, UN-Habitat and UNRWA to address critical nutritional, educational, health and protection needs, aiming to reach children within the same geographical area with an integrated package of services.
As part of the programme, UNICEF is supporting over 1,400 teachers and school principals in the governorate of Homs through teacher training on class management, subject analysis, exam reform, life skills and Curriculum b, among other topics.
“The training I’m participating in focuses on connecting with students. When we connect with students correctly, they love the subjects and learn better.”
“What is unique about this training is that it does not impose pre-designed templates on teachers,” explains Salwa Abbad, one of the trainers in the programme. “Instead, teachers are assigned to different classes according to their specific needs which we determine after observing their teaching methods,” she continues. Trainers identified inefficient class management and traditional teaching methods as the main areas for improvement. These observations shaped the training’s design.
“The concepts we are introducing recast teachers as a facilitator between students and various knowledge sources, as opposed to the sole source of knowledge,"
To make teacher development a fundamental part of the education system, UNICEF also established staff development and training rooms in 12 education complexes in Homs.
“Before the establishment of the centres, teachers had to travel long distances to one centre where they were accommodated in shifts,” explains Nael Sabsabi, one of the trainers. “With the new rooms, the training process will be more convenient and cost efficient.”
