A Review of Evaluative Evidence on Teacher Policy : Draft

Abstract

There have been some real achievements in global education following the endorsement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All in 2000. Given these gains in access to education, while Universal Primary Education remains a global priority, the international community’s attention is becoming more concerned with improving education quality. Addressing the twin challenges of teacher supply and quality as a means of improving education quality is an ambitious agenda. This review was initiated by UNESCO to inform the ongoing discourse about teacher policy and it revealed that partner agencies such as the World Bank and UNICEF are promoting a range of strategies and policies to help countries respond to the challenges of teacher supply and quality. Evidence reviewed for this assignment included a mix of evaluations, systematic reviews, research synthesis, and issues papers. The review identified three policy messages as well as a number of key areas for further policy attention, such as upgrading teacher quality and dissemination of innovative approaches.