CHALLENGES FOR TEACHER TRAINING IN INSTITUTING GENDER RESPONSIVE PEDAGOGY IN SCHOOLS IN AFRICA ( HIB SEMINAR) 27 th Sep

1. CHALLENGES FOR TEACHER TRAINING IN INSTITUTING GENDER RESPONSIVE PEDAGOGY IN SCHOOLS IN AFRICA (HIB SEMINAR) 27th September-2 October 2005, Bergen, Norway By Prof Penina Mlama [Ph.D] Executive Director, Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE)

2. INTRODUCTION • Recognition of need for gender equality in education • Global and National efforts to address gender equality • Many challenges from gender factors

3. Interventions to address gender in Education • Schools close to home (Burkina Faso, Sudan) • Flexible time table (Ethiopia) • Mothers clubs to support girls’ education (Zambia, Gambia) • Community libraries (Ghana) • Boarding facilities (Many Countries) • Provision of water in schools (many Countries • Separate toilets for boys and girls (many countries)

4. Interventions to address gender in Education Cont’d • Gender sensitisation of parents, teachers community) • Establishment of scholarships for the needy (many countries) • Legislation against early marriage (Kenya) • Re-entry into schools for girls who get pregnant (Zambia, Naimbia, Kenya, Guinee) • Provision of non-formal/complementary education for schools drop outs/miss outs (Tanzania/Uganda)

5. Challenges • Gender gap still wide especially against girls • Many factors impending access, retention and performance e.g: - • Poverty • Early marriage • Excessive domestic chores • Distance from school • Lack of Gender responsive pedagogy

6. Lack of Gender Responsive Pedagogy • Low level of Gender responsiveness in: - • Teacher attitudes • Teaching methodologies • Teaching and Learning materials • Language use in the classrooms • Teacher-Student interaction in the classroom • School management systems • The Social gender conduct • Student-Student interaction • Physical school environment

7. Lack of Teacher Training in Gender Responsive Pedagogy • Absence of Gender component in teacher training • Sporadic gender sensitization seminars • Limited cases of review of text books • Majority of teachers have received no training on gender.

8. FAWE’s effort in developing gender responsive pedagogy About FAWE: FAWE’s Vision - Gender disparities in education will be significantly reduced and that more girls will have access to schooling, complete their studies and perform well at all levels

9. About FAWE Cont’d FAWE’s Mission: - FAWE, together with its partners, will work at all levels to create positive societal attitudes and to influence policy and practice for the promotion of gender equality in education. FAWE’s Goal:   - To improve access, retention and performance for girls at all levels of the education system.

10. FAWE’s interventions on Gender ResponsiveSchool Environment • Centres of Excellence (COE • A holistic intervention to transform the school into a gender responsive environment academically, physically and Socially • Empowerment of girls • skills in self confidence, assertiveness, decision making etc. • Gender Responsive pedagogy • Teaching and Learning process

11. Gender Responsive pedagogy • A holistic intervention to make the teaching and learning processes gender responsive • Worked with teachers in three schools (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda) • In collaboration with teachers produced a Gender Responsive pedagogy handbook for teachers (Gender Responsive Pedagogy: Teacher’s Handbook, FAWE: 2005.)

12. Gender Responsive pedagogy Cont’d • The handbook addresses gender responsiveness in: - Lesson planning - Teaching and learning materials - Teaching methodologies - Teacher-student interactions in the classroom

13. Gender Responsive Pedagogy Cont’ d - Student-student interactions - Language use in the classroom - Classroom set up - Schools management system - Management of sexual maturation - combating sexual harassment

14. Gender Responsive Pedagogy Cont’d • Teachers in the three schools currently piloting the manual • If successful, plan to replicate/mainstream.

15. Challenges for Teacher Training • Need to include Gender Responsive pedagogy in Teacher Training: - • Analysis of social gender context of teaching and learning • Teachers gender awareness • Skills in low to handle gender responsiveness in the teaching and learning process

16. Challenges for Teacher Training Cont’d - How to transform current teaching and learning processes to become gender responsive. • Overall school environment • Lesson Planning • Production or selection or use of teaching and learning materials • Language use • Classroom set up • Classroom interaction • Management of sexual maturation • Combating sexual harassment

17. Challenges for International cooperation The development partners to take into account the following: - • To be gender responsive themselves • To question education reforms that do not include gender responsiveness • To see teachers as agents of change in gender transformation • To make education funding gender responsive • To give serious attention to the gender realities on the ground. • To offer partnership in Teacher Training for gender responsiveness.

18. Conclusion Gender responsive pedagogy in teacher training is a must for the attainment of quality education and the EFA and MDG gender goals