Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
129. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps his Department is taking to increase the supply of qualified teachers through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27232/23]
View answerIreland’s Policy for International Development, A Better World, commits to scaling up support for education, as one of the keys to progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Government recognises that teachers are central to ensuring quality education. Access to qualified teachers is the most important school-based determinant of learning. Ireland works to strengthen education systems in developing countries so that states can provide free and inclusive quality basic education to all children. Continuing professional development of the teaching profession is essential to increasing the number of teachers globally.
Through our support for the Global Partnership for Education, Ireland supports the training of teachers. A total of 675,522 teachers were trained through the Global Partnership for Education in 2022, half of these in fragile or conflict-affected contexts. Our partnership also works to ensure that the importance of teachers is recognised in national education systems, and to increase the proportion of teachers with national qualification standards.
Through our support for the organisation Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies, Ireland helps to ensure that teachers in crisis situations are equipped with the skills they need in emergency preparedness, disaster risk reduction and risk management. Teachers also receive training in mental health and psychosocial support for themselves and their students.
In addition the Africa Code Week Women’s Empowerment Programme provides female teachers and administrators with professional development workshops on digital skills and technology to ensure they and their students have the necessary skills for the digital transition.
A long-running public-private partnership through our Embassy in Uganda aims to increase the levels of motivation and recognition while supporting teachers’ continuous professional development. In partnership with Mary Immaculate College, an annual study trip to Ireland is organised for outstanding Ugandan teachers.
Our partnerships also help us to ensure that our support to teacher training and education will reach those furthest behind, a guiding principle of our international development policy. In Sierra Leone, for instance, Ireland supports partners, including Teach for Sierra Leone, to improve the quality of teaching and learning with a focus on remote and marginalised areas.
