Teachers In Anglophone Africa: Issues In Teacher Supply, Training, And Management

Teachers present a complex of issues for policy makers, which are not always adequately captured by current indicators and addressed by current policies. This work, based on country-specific studies of a broad spectrum of teacher issues in 8 countries in Anglophone Africa, examines specifically teacher supply, deployment, management and finance issues. It reveals that most countries face challenges of teacher supply, and that the planning for and regulation of teacher supply are weak. There are often particular shortages in specific subject areas, most commonly in mathematics and the sciences. In some cases the limiting factor is the output of suitably qualified school leavers. For most countries there are severe problems of teacher deployment, resulting in inefficient utilization of the available teachers. Weaknesses in teacher management and support systems further reduce the effectiveness of teachers. The book suggests that the issues of supply, deployment, quality and cost are inter-related, and should be addressed through a comprehensive series of policies. Based on the case studies, policies which appear to be working, or to offer potential solutions, are identified.