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With the aggregation potential of your platform, what measurable impact has Ubuntu Education had on elevating learning access, standards, and outcomes across Africa’s educational ecosystem?
Yes, this is a really great question. We’re quite a young organisation and we are sort of at the tip of the iceberg. So, we know that we can measure the speed of our community growth, which is huge. The engagement goes up all the time. We’ve got a lot of interest from teachers across the continent, even teachers outside the continent who are kind of curious about what’s going on. So, the community size and the speed of the growth is demonstrable to us that we can fulfill that need. And each of those teachers is impacting tens, maybe hundreds of children over their life, over their career lifetime and even just within each year. So, the impact is quite powerful. And one thing we really want to do is to amplify this idea of the teacher’s voice, which I’ve mentioned a few times; because we feel that even globally, there’s an issue with the teacher’s voice being forgotten. They are the forgotten heroes of this system, running it day to day.
And yet, policies are made at a level that seldom seeks their input. We had a speaker at our recent conference, who said, yes, we could be the bridge. But unfortunately, no one’s using us. It’s that feeling of, we could tell you if this is going to work or not, but no one has yet asked us. So, what we want to do is keep being that place where people can come and ask. And you were asking about the kind of educational ecosystem so yes, we are now being approached by other EdTech organizations and other educational organisations. We want to be that kind of meeting point for everyone in the sector so that teachers are championed and listened to, and we hope that that’s going to really impact the whole system so much more powerfully because those changes can then be made. Such decisions are difficult to make and they’re expensive to make in all countries, so if they can be made in a way that’s sustainable because the people delivering them believe in them and can carry them forward, we really think it’ll have such an impact on the future of children.
Can you elaborate on how Ubuntu Education Hub and Ubuntu Education Jobs are revolutionising career advancement for educators and recruitment processes for schools across the continent?
Our job’s board is yet to be launched. It’s in development and with the abundance of skills and high quality out there, the idea is very much going to be about joining the dots. We want to be that point where those dots can be joined and where schools can advertise and where teachers who are already primed for professional development – as that is already the norm in their teaching career, having been proactive in taking courses and building up their skills – one can collaborate with those kinds of innovative teachers who are virtually living on the hub, to build up their skills, build up their confidence, be prepared for interviews and to really shine in the right way, so that schools and teachers can find a natural fit. From a teacher’s point of view, you are as much interviewing the organisation as they are interviewing you. Are you a good fit for each other? So, it’s about building that kind of confidence on both sides. But from a practical point of view, it’s about making sure there’s a school, this is the job available, and here are the candidates. Let’s get you together. And from our point of view, it’s making sure teachers have that opportunity to self -develop, to grow their own life chances and that of their own family and their children.
Many teachers are taking second jobs or having to monetize their time in other ways that are not educationally related. And it doesn’t make sense to us because if they could be spending that time monetizing their educational skills, it would result in a multiple fold increase for everyone in the system. And that teacher then gets to make more of the choices that they want to make for their own career, for their own family, as they move through their careers. So yes, the jobs board is like that pinnacle of wanting teachers to be able to move through a system and increase their professional status. However, the hub is almost like the training ground for where that can all get prepared. So conversations with people, developing your teacher voice, taking part in events, taking courses and so on, kind of builds up that confidence in order to then find your dream job. That’s what we hope for the teachers.
You are someone who likes to question norms, with the goal of discovering a better way. Having lived in the UK and on the African continent, who would you say has been more welcoming of change?
I totally love this question. I would say without any doubt, the most welcoming of change is definitely the African continent. And it’s more welcoming in multiple ways. I think in Europe, we’re more reserved and we’re internally focused. I don’t think that’s always helpful. Speaking from my experience in Malawi and having been lucky enough to visit many African countries during that time and since, I will say Africa is a very welcoming place, with its interconnectivity of people and places. And highly important is community, which is the centre of everything. People are willing to learn from elders and make time for it. And I think there’s a real open -mindedness.
Yes, and there’s innovation, energy, hard work, great things that I think many other continents could learn from. So yes, I would definitely say the African continent.
One of the key speakers at your most recently held Ubuntu Conference was Mrs Obi Ezekwesili, who is a prominent Nigerian figure. What involvement does she have with Ubuntu Education and its agenda?
Yes, we were incredibly honoured to have Dr. Ezekwesili speak at our recent event and of course she is the founder of Human Capital Africa, an organisation that we admire because of the fabulous work that they are doing. She was very kind to come and inspire and uplift our attendees, and also share a message of allyship. She is someone who really understands the importance of the role of the teacher.
What needs to be done for the teaching profession to take its rightful place in Africa? Especially at government funded schools. Does it begin and end with paying teachers living wages? In Finland, there is nothing extraordinary about teacher’s salaries but it’s one of the most sought after jobs there.
I would say it does begin with ensuring teachers have dignity. And in doing so, living wages are really important, very important, because then people have the agency to make their own choices, for themselves, for their family. But dignity is not just a financial matter, as we all know. It’s also having a space to share your views in a kind of community environment, ensuring that those teachers get an opportunity to share what they can from their lived experience. Sometimes the youngest teacher has the best idea but they’re too shy to share or they feel like oh it’s not my place. And so I think making time to listen is really important. I’ve certainly learned a lot that way, just from working with a wide variety of teachers in Africa. But I think keeping that allyship and that ongoing journey for many of us and understanding that context is super important. Of course, every single community has a different approach that’s right for the community. So yes, those teachers are the cornerstones of that community but I think sometimes in the busyness of life and when there’s a scarcity of resources, their expertise can sometimes be neglected. And I don’t think that’s an intentional thing but I think we can intentionally address it. It could be in terms of changing the system. And a good place to start on that is thinking back to our own childhood, remembering those inspirational teachers or leaders.
It’s also important that we retain those experienced teachers and make sure they become the next leaders of the sector. We need to keep these great people in post so that they can keep on mentoring the younger teachers coming through. And so, yes, I feel like if I will hand my most precious thing, my child, over to this person to take care of, he or she has got to be a special person. They must be. Speaking of Finland, it is true that teacher’s salaries there are not that remarkable compared to other professions but from what I understand of the Finnish culture, people have deep respect for teaching as a profession and so I would always amplify that, just because I believe teachers are the real changemakers.
One last thing, and this speaks to the situation in most countries, when educational policies are being discussed, the advice of teachers should also be sought. All of these contribute to the status as well as dignity of the teaching profession.
_______________________ Joanna Marriott Chief Engagement Strategist (CES) at Ubuntu Education, focused on growing engagement on the Ubuntu HUB to amplify teacher innovation across Africa. I am a former teacher and leader in schools both in Malawi and the UK with extensive experience in leading Early Years departments. Join us at hub.ubuntu.education www.ubuntu.education By Joanna Marriott Ubuntu Education
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.