Global development voices: Africa's teachers

Eight teachers tell us about the progress of education in their country, what they see as the biggest challenges for African teachers and students – and their hopes for the future

Interactive: Global development voices - Africa's teachers
African teachers
African teachers Photograph: Guardian

Education features prominently in the millennium development goals. Millennium development goal 2 aims to ensure that all children complete a full course of primary education, and is measured by enrolment, the proportion who reach the last grade, and literacy rates for those aged 15-24.

Olivia Muhumuza, 46

Location: Railway Children primary school, Kampala, Uganda

Subjects: Mathematics and science; also headteacher

What steps are being taken to achieve universal primary education (MDG 2) in Uganda?

Olivia Muhumuza

Uganda has created policies to encourage children to complete at least a primary school education, which has raised enrolment significantly. However, although many children are in school, I'm not very comfortable with the quality of education they are getting. Facilities do not match enrolment, leading to overcrowded classrooms and high teacher-pupil ratios – a teacher may have to manage a class of 100-plus children for the whole day. Some teachers are underqualified; the numbers were overwhelming when the universal primary education programme started. But the government is rectifying this with in-service teacher training.

The curriculum needs overhauling into one that is more relevant to our society. Today, it is more exam-oriented, so children are only taught to pass exams instead of learning to become people of character and integrity, and identifying talents to do things they love in future. We are producing people who will do jobs they are not passionate about, which erodes performance instead of adding value. It would be great if the curriculum were revised to nurture children's talents and interests early on, because our current curriculum tends to encourage dependency on rote learning and memorisation instead of nurturing children's creativity, critical thinking skills, and imagination, [qualities] which spark innovation.

What is your personal daily teaching challenge?

It is the ever-increasing cost of living. Teachers' salaries in Uganda are very low. With the day-to-day worries of housing, transport, daily expenses, and medical bills, it becomes difficult to devote oneself fully to teaching. Also, continuous professional development is something I feel I need to update my teaching skills. For instance, I was trained to handle a class of maximum 30 pupils. So when I'm given 120 pupils, it is definitely a challenge. One needs to be equipped with alternative teaching methods and materials to help the children learn effectively.

What should the international community do to help improve education in Uganda?

The international community can help us to develop a more relevant school curriculum that will help children discover their talents, develop their passion, build character, enhance their critical thinking skills, and encourage them to become self-reliant. We can learn from other countries. For instance, in 2006 I visited Hampshire in the UK. I found that the authorities there gathered views from all the schools in the county, and matched them to the needs of the community to develop a primary school curriculum that was relevant to both the children and community. We could use these and other such examples. They could also put up model schools from which we can learn.

What are your hopes for improving education in Uganda?

Many teachers in Uganda are passionate about learning, and really want children to get the best out of school. But many challenges remain, as I have outlined. If these are addressed, Uganda's education system will improve significantly. In the 1960s, Uganda ranked as having one of the best education systems in Africa. There is no reason why that cannot happen again.

From Unicef.

Francis Kiyanja, 30

Location: Pioneer high school, Namungo, Mityana, Uganda

Subject: DDE, history and Christian religious education


Francis Kiyanja

Here in Uganda we already have universal primary education and now it is being introduced to secondary schools, too. Because the government has few secondary schools, it has begun entering into partnerships with private schools to pay fees for students. The government is acting like a parent to those students. The system isn't perfect yet, and there are lots of challenges. Teachers in government schools are often paid late, which causes big problems. I would say we are 50% of the way there but there is still a lot to be done.

What is your personal daily teaching challenge?

The biggest challenge we face in education is finance. The government says it can pay teachers, but there are too few resources in government schools – so the work can be almost impossible. Vital resources such as lab equipment are lacking, even though science is seen as one of the most important subjects.

I'm lucky that I am both a teacher and an administrator, so I have seen both sides. Teacher challenges are mainly around finance – payment must be prompt and must be enough. Increasing teachers' salaries should be a priority for Uganda. Lots of teachers have to teach in several different schools in order to make ends meet. Accommodation and travel are also expensive, and these can be challenges for low-paid teachers.


The international community could help to fund the schools where necessary and to provide resourceful personnel within the education system to equip the administrators in Uganda with the knowledge and skills they need. At the moment lots of the policies are good but they are neglected by the people who have passed them, so we end up with half-baked products. We ought to focus not just on exam results but on the general wellbeing of an individual.

What are your hopes for improving education in Uganda?

There have been lots of positives in recent years within education. In my school, I have worked hard to create a feeling of togetherness and teamwork among teachers. We also ensure that our teachers are always paid on time every month.

At a country level there has been a big effort to provide accommodation to government teachers, which makes a big difference. The introduction of universal education is a great principle too, and it is natural that there will be challenges when something is just beginning.

From PEAS.

Maria Emelia, 53

Location: School 61, Lubango, Angola

Subject: primary grade 2

What steps are being taken to achieve universal primary education (MDG 2) in Angola?

Maria Emelia

Our biggest problem is overcrowding. The war left us without enough classrooms and teachers.

We are much luckier than the rural areas, where teaching takes place under trees. Lubango remained in government hands throughout the war and its schools never closed. The greatest pressure on us is the population influx caused by the war. It continues to put pressure on facilities. Some of our classes are based in an abandoned chapel in another part of the city, and that is really unsatisfactory because it creates disparities.

What is your personal daily teaching challenge?

We have children who come to school on an empty stomach and others who bring lunch. Last year, we allowed a trader to sell snacks in the playground during breaks, but that just made matters worse. Because of the huge differences in the incomes of the parents, we can only ask them to contribute about 300 kwanzas ($3) per term for materials, which leaves us unable to provide textbooks for everyone.

During the war – and since – the government has been able to draw on only a very limited pool of qualified teachers. It has recruited thousands of people who only have a grade 8 or, at best, grade 10 education. Even the qualified teachers, such as myself, use methods that date from colonial times.

What should the international community do to help improve education in Angola?

The government, with support from the EU, has now begun to offer on-the-job training to raise standards and introduce new methods. Before, our methods were theoretical. Now, we use observation of daily life to bring the subjects to life.

What are your hopes for improving education in Angola?

It is a very exciting time to be a teacher in Angola. Our country is racing to catch up and we are made very aware of the crucial role of the teaching profession in building a nation of active citizens.'

Enoch Abukari, 34

Location: Tarikpaa primary school, Northern Region, Ghana

Subject: primary grade 3, also assistant headteacher

What steps are being taken to achieve universal primary education (MDG 2) in Ghana?

Enoch Abukari

Ghana is very close to achieving MDG 2, but is beginning to face many challenges. Free compulsory basic education now covers 11 years of a child's education. Gross enrolments rates are more than 100% nationally, while gross admission rates are above 90%. The extensive growth in basic education has reached a limit and services cannot be stretched much further.

What is your personal daily teaching challenge?

The focus in teaching has shifted to providing quality education, particularly to out-of-school children, girls, orphans and children with special needs. But, this is a challenge, especially in rural areas like the one I live and work in. I decided to move into my school's local community, to be closer to the children and their families. I want to be a teacher even after school hours have closed.

Although English is the official language of Ghana, it is an everyday educational challenge for teachers and students. Exams, assessments, the curriculum and teaching are in English. But most students in my class are Dagomba and rarely speak English anywhere else but the classroom. Students receive the first few years of their primary education in Dagomba, but have to transition very quickly to English language instruction by grade 4. That is why I decided to change from teaching grade 6 to grade 3. I wanted to support these young students' transition.

In addition, we have very crowded classrooms because our school is too small. I have 61 students in my one class, making child-centred learning very difficult to achieve.

We also have very few facilities to support our students' learning. We are now living within a global village, but children in northern Ghana are being excluded. Most of our students have never seen a computer, but according to the curriculum are meant to study ICT. Two classes of students used to share one laptop and one ICT class. But those lessons have stopped.

The other challenge is attracting teachers to our community. Because this is a rural village, with no social amenities or electricity, it is very difficult to attract teachers. Even those who are posted here by the government simply do not come, because I also put a lot of pressure and expectations on our teachers to perform.

What should the international community do to help improve education in Ghana?

The international community could support the improvement of education in a number of ways: support for ICT learning; professional development of teachers; financial support of students moving into secondary and tertiary education; and funding for safe and suitable school facilities.

What are your hopes for improving education in Ghana?

The government is committed to expanding education for all in Ghana. It supports teachers who are investing in their own professional education. It also conducts big drives across the country to encourage parents to enrol their children, and is focused on improving the equality of girls' education. There are more girls than boys in many of the lower primary classes, and this will change things for the better in Ghana.

From Unicef.

Paulina Okine, 42

Location: Abetifi DA primary, Eastern Region, Ghana

Subject: P2 teacher

What steps are being taken to achieve universal primary education (MD2) in Ghana?

Paulina Okine

The government is providing upgrading knowledge of teachers through in-service courses, and refresher programmes. In addition, the government is providing free uniforms, exercise books and textbooks for children in deprived communities. The school feeding programme is enhancing the enrolment and retention of children in schools.

What is your personal daily teaching challenge?

My personal challenges are dealing with hungry children whose parents cannot afford basic needs. In addition, I face daily difficulty in travelling over long distances to school.


The international community can support infrastructural projects. It can also support us with provision of books and other materials, provision of houses for teachers and provision of buses for children who live far away.

What are your hopes for improving education in Ghana?

My hopes are that the children will be useful and productive citizens to their nation, their communities and their families. I am hopeful that this would be attained because the children express appreciation for my efforts, they are always happy to be in school, and they tell positive stories about their future.

From Innovations for Poverty Action.

Yesso Jean-Marie Bogui, 44

Location: BAD primary school, Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Subject: primary 6

What steps are being taken to achieve universal primary education (MDG 2) in Ivory Coast?

Yesso Jean-Marie Bogui

Ivory Coast has adopted the resolutions of the World Forum of Education for All (Dakar, 2000). The country has rehabilitated many schools, decentralised and renewed the school administration system, and started giving free schoolbooks. New teachers' colleges were set up. Parents' management committees were given more responsibilities. Appeals were made to international bodies such as Unicef, Unesco and the World Food Programme (for school canteens). Social mobilisation was intensified to encourage girls to come to school and not drop out.

Despite these efforts, Ivory Coast is still far from achieving the MDGs, because of the lack of resources but also because of a worsening of the social climate since 2002.

What is your personal daily teaching challenge?

We have two main challenges. Teachers often have to travel a long way to their schools, and the cost of transport is high. The vehicles are crowded and the journey uncomfortable.

Second, the salaries have not kept up with the rise in the cost of living.

Additionally, city parents seem uninterested and don't give a lot of support to the school. Professionally, there is a problem that we have been trained in new methods but the teaching material has not caught up with the change.

What should the international community do to help improve education in Ivory Coast?

The international community must stick to its commitments in respect of the aid promised, and increase it if possible; be more strict in supervising the management of the funds it gives; help the government to finance parent-teacher associations; support the action of the government in its campaign regarding parents reluctant to send their children to school.

What are your hopes for improving education in Ivory Coast?

The country has had good infrastructure, but the number of pupils increases each year. We should increase the number of facilities; recruit new teachers, especially in former-rebel areas; improve teacher training, taking into account the new issues (disability, gender, emergency and early childhood); provide educational materials in sufficient quantities; reduce disparities between regions, and between rural and urban areas.

From Unicef.

Gouana Zamble-Tralou, 55

Location: Agbekoi primary school, Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Subject: primary 2


Gouana Zamble-Tralou

Ivory Coast is committed to reforms in the education sector. The country now provides free education, with free textbooks. Registration fees have been abolished; corporal punishment made illegal. There is an emphasis and training on child rights.

Efforts are being made in teacher training and recruitment; the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms; involvement of parents; and the establishment of clubs for mothers of schoolgirls.

It is possible to achieve MDG2 by 2015 with the support of the international community including UN agencies such as Unicef and international NGOs such as Save the Children.

What is your personal daily teaching challenge?

Our school has 413 pupils, of whom 199 are girls. We don't have desks for them and some of the children are seated four on a bench that should be for two. The school latrines are in poor condition and some of them are overflowing.


To support education, the international community should help build new schools, provide equipment, teaching materials and computers, build school canteens, improve latrines, establish water points, and build school libraries.

What are your hopes for improving education in Ivory Coast?

Our wish for the improvement of education in our country is: a full, comprehensive primary education for all boys and girls by 2015; improving the daily lives of teachers; and the construction of more secondary schools for all students with a reasonable level of achievement at the end of primary school.

From Unicef.

John Lubakare Manase, 38

Location: Juba One boys basic school, Juba, South Sudan

Subject: mathematics and science

What steps are being taken to achieve universal primary education (MDG 2) in South Sudan?

John Lubakare Manase

My country has taken some steps to achieve MDG2 by declaring free primary education since the end of the war in 2005. However, MDG2 will not be achieved despite the efforts to increase enrolment and improve quality.
The facilities are not enough. Most children still learn under trees. And there are very few tertiary institutions to improve the quality of the teachers and teaching in general.

What is your personal daily teaching challenge?

It is a daily challenge to get to work as I live more than 4km away from the school, and there is no transport. All the classes are overcrowded, making it difficult to teach and to get children to focus on their lessons. Some of the children, who have returned from the north to South Sudan, only speak Arabic, so teaching and making them understand is an uphill task. There is also a shortage of teaching material and textbooks for the students. Often, students arrive late to class, which disrupts lessons. In addition, as the school has no boundary wall and is not fenced, vehicles drive through the compound, which further distracts the children. Last, despite the rising cost of living, teacher salaries are still low. The lowest-paid teacher receives 296 South Sudanese pounds (SSP) ($100) a month, making life very difficult.

What should the international community do to help improve education in South Sudan?

We need new schools and renovation of the existing ones. Support to provide updated teaching material and lessons for the students would be helpful. It would also be of immense benefit if the international community supported the ministry of education to effectively plan and develop the curriculum and support schools here.

What are your hopes for improving education in South Sudan?

There are ongoing efforts to build learning institutions that are necessary to support the education system. Some schools, not many, have been built by partners such as Unicef since 2005. There is some teacher training, and pupils are being provided with learning materials such as exercise books, pencils and textbooks.

It is also heartening that school enrolment has increased dramatically since 2005 and continues to rise. But more can and needs to be done for South Sudan's education system to reach greater heights.

From Unicef.

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