A look back at the workshop to draw up a training framework for junior cycle teachers in Chad

In the current context of education in Chad, where improving the quality of teaching is a priority, a workshop was organized from December 5 to 7, 2023 to develop a training reference framework for junior cycle teachers.

The first day started with an opening ceremony, marked by speeches from those involved in the project. Mr. Omar Thiam, UNESCO-IBE Program Specialist, stressed the importance of curricula in educational transformation. He praised Chad's initiative in putting the roadmap into practice, following the validation of the Common Curriculum Framework (CCF) for the professionalization of teachers. Mr. Habou Rhemy, representative of the UNESCO Antenna in N'Djamena, recalled the joint efforts of UNESCO and the Ministry of National Education to strengthen educational governance. The European Union representative reaffirmed its financial support, underlining the importance of improving Chad's education system. The Secretary General of MENPC, Mr. Mahamat Seid Farah, reviewed activities since 2021, emphasizing the direct impact of teachers on the quality of education. He also encouraged the use of educational technologies.

Mr. Thiam then introduced the workshop, stressing that the aim was to create a training repository for junior cycle teachers. Presentations focused on national, regional, and international contexts. An overview of the current situation was drawn up in 3 groups, covering three main areas. Participants analyzed training opportunities, the skills of ENS teachers, and current professional training challenges. The groups identified challenges, including structural inadequacies, over-staffing, and recruitment difficulties. The groups presented detailed findings. Training provision was examined for various disciplines, with challenges like lack of infrastructure. The skills of trained teachers were discussed, highlighting the importance of professional and disciplinary skills. Challenges identified included classroom overcrowding and needing a more rigorous selection of ENS candidates. Solutions were proposed, ranging from increased recruitment to harmonizing teaching programs. Subsequently, the participants split into two groups to draw up a plan for the initial and ongoing training of junior cycle teachers in Chad, based on the CCOC's general guidelines. This led to the developing a reference framework for professions, evaluation, skills, and training.

For the closing ceremony, Mr. Davide Ruscelli, UNESCO Project Manager in Dakar, stressed the need to develop an efficient education system that is perfectly adapted to future training needs, while seeking to harmonize practices at the regional level. He thanked Mr. Mahamat Seid Farah, Secretary General of MENPC, praising his unwavering determination and commitment to education. The Secretary General, in turn, was optimistic about the CCOC, seeing it as the beginning of a new educational era for Chad. He underlined the concrete benefits that teachers, students, and communities will derive from the solid foundations that have been laid. The Secretary-General also paid tribute to the teachers who work under challenging conditions, and called on countries to invest more in improving these conditions. He also reaffirmed the crucial importance of strengthening teachersSecretary-General and concluded the workshop on this significant note.

The workshop thus laid a solid foundation for developing a training repository adapted to the Chadian educational context. Participants expressed their commitment to the objectives of the "Improving Education in countries of the Sahel project."