Opinion: Career Paths for Teachers and School Leaders: Can Collective Agreements Help?

Conrad Sackey is Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education in Sierra Leone. Quentin Wodon is Director of the UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa  (UNESCO IICBA) in Addis Ababa.
 
As we celebrated a few weeks ago World Teachers’ Day and the contributions teachers make to our children, communities, and society, we also need to assess whether the teaching profession is attractive enough to confront the shortages of qualified teachers that many countries face. As discussed in a new study by UNESCO IICBA led by Steve Nwokeocha and Aminata Sessay, funded by the Shanghai municipality (Shanghai-FIT Project), and validated last week in Freetown, a Collective Agreement was recently signed in Sierra Leone between the Teacher Union and the Teacher Service Commission which employs teachers and regulates the profession. The Agreement has a duration of three years and marks a key step towards the implementation of new professional standards and competencies for teachers and school leaders. 
 
What did we learn from the study, and specifically the chapter discussing the Collective Agreement? The Agreement could be a model to follow by other African countries aiming to strengthen the career path for teachers and school leaders. It uses the teacher career path for the salary structure – possibly making Sierra Leone the first country in Africa to structure salaries for teachers in accordance with the African Union Commission Framework of Standards and Competencies. Wages and salaries for teachers are now based on the four stages of this career path: New Teacher, Proficient, Highly Accomplished and Distinguished Teacher, with the Agreement also listing qualifications in line with the career path.
 
The Agreement affirms that teachers “have individual professional autonomy in determining the appropriate method of instruction, and in the planning, presentation, and evaluation of course materials in their general work assignment consistent with the course of studies that may be prescribed.” It commits to promotions in accordance with professional standards and other related policies. Accrued professional development credits obtained through trainings, courses, and classroom observation will count for promotions. The Agreement also prescribes that performance evaluations shall be “formative and summative to the fullest extent possible.” And if a teacher feels that her/his performance is “above standard” but has not been recognized as such, s/he has the right to write a formal complaint to the TSC. S/he will then be evaluated by an independent team comprising two officers from the School Quality Assurance and Resource Management Directorate and TSC, including a representative of the teacher union and one Senior Teacher from another school  nominated by the Union. 
 
The Agreement further provides that all evaluation reports on a teacher shall be in writing; that the evaluator shall have a preliminary meeting with the teacher to be evaluated at least three months before the exercise; that the evaluation shall exclude factors over which the teacher has no control; and that feedback of the evaluation shall be given to the teacher within 24 hours after the exercise. Finally, the Agreement lays out procedures to follow in resolving disputes and grievances between teachers and their employer (the TSC) or the school authority. It also covers a range of other topics, including disciplinary action and the role of the Teaching Service Trade Group Negotiating Council in promoting harmony in labor relations between employers and the union.
 
Previous TSC policies on teacher evaluations and provisions of the Agreement have been consolidated into one document titled the Comprehensive and Harmonized National Teacher Policies and approved by the Government (Cabinet) of Sierra Leone. It contains the following policies: 1) Teacher Registration and Licensing Policy; (2) Teacher Management Policy; (3) Policy on Teacher Employee Relations; and (4) Teacher Development and Performance Policy, which is the most relevant for teacher performance assessments. On a scale from 1 to 5, the TSC “Teacher Performance Appraisal Form” rates five areas of core competencies: organization and management; innovation and strategic thinking; leadership and decision making; supporting and cooperating; and maximizing and maintaining productivity. 
 
As we write this blog, additional positive developments are worth emphasizing. After receiving the initial report of UNESCO IICBA’s Situational Analysis, the Ministry has been working hard to address identified gaps. Last week, a Cabinet Paper on Recommendations, Guidelines, and Procedures for a Credit Mapping Framework that Allocates Appropriate Credits to Teachers for Approved In-Service Training Courses was approved by the Cabinet. In addition, a High-Level Policy Consultation on Continuous Professional Development will be developed into a Cabinet Paper to be jointly presented by the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education. This comprehensive CPD framework for teachers in Sierra Leone will be based on quality reforms of key entities, providing enhanced alignment, linkages, accountability and coordination in the governance of teacher professional development to make pathways for advancement transparent and equitably available to all teachers. 
 
A wide range of issues remain, with as a result many children dropping out of school or not learning enough while in school. The teaching profession does not always attract the best, and even when it does, both the quantity and quality of pre-service and in-service professional development remain low. This said, the Professional Standards and Competencies for teachers, the new Collective Agreement recently signed by TSC and the Teacher Union, and the reforms submitted last week to the Cabinet are now the most definitive statements of what a teacher or school leader should know and do, how to behave, and what to expect in terms of reward, sanctions, retirement, and general benefits. These various documents are aligned to a clear career path for teachers and school leaders. These are important steps forward. 
 

[Thu, 12 Oct 2023 19:02:00 +0000] | DIGG THIS


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