The aim of this gathering was to promote the teaching profession in Southern Africa and encourage collaboration in innovative pedagogies, research, advocacy and policymaking in teacher education on the continent.

FROM LEFT, SEATED: Dr Hertha Pomuti, Director: National Institute of Educational Development (NIED); Honourable Katrina Hanse-Himarwa, Minister: Education, Arts and Culture; Velapi Mamba, Programme Manager of Inclusive Education: Open Society Initiative in Southern Africa (OSISA), and Maurice Nkusi, Acting Director: Teaching and Learning Unit, and other delegates, posing for a picture at the event.

The first seminar was held in Malawi in 2015 and it culminated in the creation of the Southern Africa Teacher Education Platform (STEP). STEP is a collaborative forum for sharing innovative ideas about teaching, learning and support in Africa, particularly relating to large-scale reforms.

Building on the foundation of the Malawi Seminar, the Windhoek gathering examined case studies of large-scale education reforms in Southern Africa, amongst others.
Hon Katrina Hanse-Himarwa, the Minister of Education, Arts and Culture, addressed the delegates.

“When resources are lacking during tough financial times, we need to be innovative to address the challenges we are facing. In many cases, we have the solutions to our problems, but to be able to apply these solutions, we need to promote a culture of innovation in our societies, schools, universities and other organisations.”

She added that the seminar came at the right time when countries across the world are currently striving to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and specifically Goal 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.

The seminar was attended by participants from Namibia, Madagascar, Malawi, Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda, Angola, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe. Maurice Nkusi, the Acting Director of TLU, deemed the event a resounding success.