Call for papers: Issue in Volume 13. No. 2 December 2011
UNESCO-International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) Newsletter
http://www.unesco-iicba.org
The Role of Teacher Training
in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Africa
Deadline: November 30, 2011
Send your contribution to
Akemi Yonemura [a.yonemura@unesco.org] Program Specialist, UNESCO-IICBA
According to a recent study of UNESCO, in most of African countries, primary enrollment has significantly increased, but general secondary education does not have enough space nor provide education to guarantee employment. Therefore, the only way to respond to the growing demand for relevant education is to devise new TVET strategies for the youth to access the world of work. Such strategies should take into account the multi-sectoral aspects and different forms of education and training, as well as formal, non-formal and informal aspects.
In this context, UNEVOC, UNESCO’s Center specializing in TVET, is promoting the role of TVET teachers and trainers in the vocationalization of secondary education to assist the transition of young people from school to the world of work. The African Union (AU) has developed a strategy based on a much wider perspective, linking TVET not only to secondary education, but also to higher education. The AU recognizes that TVET is an essential part of general education, and provides a means for building capacity for national development, including post conflict situations.
However, TVET is still underserved in most African countries. In this connection, one of the most challenging tasks is to change attitudes toward TVET among stakeholders, including policymakers and service providers, as well as parents, teachers and the public. The current tracking system tends to reinforce the perception of inferiority of the vocational track, where teachers are also separated in two different systems. Another challenge is physical and financial constraint. Even if programmes exist, often modern technologies have not been utilized to upgrade facilities and programmes. In this regard, TVET needs to respond to the demands of the labor market in close partnership with employers.
UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA) invites articles that engage with key issues, emerging questions, and good practices related to policies and practice on “the role of teacher training in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Africa.” The articles will be published in IICBA’s biannual newsletter in its December 2011 issue.
The deadline for submission of articles is November 30, 2011, and the text (inclusive of tables and references) should be no more than 2,000 words. The articles may not have to be highly referenced scholarly pieces of the nature that appear in academic journals. Personal stories and articles that could be used for experience sharing are welcome.