The Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management (CCEAM) have signed a new agreement to improve the leadership and management skills of educators and school leaders in member countries.
The Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management (CCEAM) have signed a new agreement to improve the leadership and management skills of educators and school leaders in member countries.
A Letter of Understanding was signed between the two organisations on 14 November in Malta at the CCEAM 2018 Conference. It sets out the commitment of both organisations to develop a Pan-Commonwealth school leadership and management programme.
The Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers has identified poor leadership and management skills as a major problem for school principals and teachers. This gap limits ability of teachers to provide quality learning to students, particularly in developing countries.
Under the partnership, a school leadership capability framework will be developed to close this gap and provide a shared leadership language for the education workforce. The Commonwealth, in association with CCEAM, will provide further technical assistance to member countries for professional development.
Describing the partnership as a pathway for policymakers who are committed to improving educational outcomes for all Commonwealth citizens, Jenny Lewis, the Chief Executive Officer at CCEAM, said, “Principals of today are required to effectively lead high functioning strategic organisations in which professional capital, social capital and learners thrive. This partnership will continue to open doors and eyes to what is working well in the most extraordinary circumstances and to learn with those that are creating these new opportunities.”
The Commonwealth will oversee the project as part of its education programme and report progress to ministers of education. Amina Osman, Education Advisor at the Commonwealth, said, “Our work focuses on ‘Learning for Life’, encompassing the fact that educators should not only assist leaners in the process of how to learn, but also adopt the mind-set that they are lead learners engaged in their own continuous professional development.
“In one of the most challenging roles in any school, a middle leader has to teach, lead, manage and learn. Aspiring and serving middle leaders require training to develop the mix of skills and leadership qualities needed to perform in their roles.”
The partnership contributes to the 2018 Commonwealth leaders’ mandate on education workforce which encouraged “investing in skilled motivated and supportive teachers, educational facilities, and focusing on education reforms”.
