Why we need to recruit and retain outstanding classroom leaders

Teacher Ewesit at a mobile school in Kenya听Picture: UNESCO/Karel Prinsloo/ ARETE

Samantha Williams国产视频檚 hopes were not high as she travelled to Ethiopia for the launch of the Education For All Global Monitoring Report.

As a director of development for Teach For All who works with emerging social entrepreneurs addressing educational inequity in Africa, she knew better than most that millions of children do not go to school 国产视频� and millions more are in classrooms but learning very little.

But she admitted: 国产视频淒espite all that has been 国产视频榢nown国产视频�, the grim findings of the Global Monitoring Report shocked me deeply. The quantitative data was far more alarming than I国产视频檇 anticipated.国产视频�

Among the findings from the UNESCO report that surprised Samantha was the revelation that 250 million children will not learn basic literacy and numeracy 国产视频� despite the majority of them attending school.

When she returned from Addis Ababa, she wrote a thought-provoking blog in which she said: 国产视频淭here is a crisis out there that extends far beyond access, and it is painfully clear that meaningful access still eludes far too many children across the globe.国产视频�

Samantha is Director of Growth, Strategy and Development 国产视频� Africa for Teach For All, a global network of independent social enterprises working to expand educational opportunity in their countries by recruiting and developing talented future leaders to help transform classrooms, schools, and entire systems.

She believes the GMR国产视频檚 key finding 国产视频� that the most critical factor is better trained, strategically placed and meaningfully retained teachers 国产视频� echoes the vision of Teach For All.

She wrote: 国产视频淚t resonated deeply with me as I reflected on my work here in Africa.国产视频�

You can read Samantha国产视频檚 blog in full on the Teach For All website, including her conclusions that we need a 国产视频済lobal effort to recruit and retain outstanding classroom leaders国产视频�.

The GMR launch on January 29 was also attended by Chernor Bah, Youth Engagement Coordinator at A World at School and Chair of the Youth Advocacy Group. You can read his very personal and passionate blog on his thoughts about the GMR report.