African Union Teacher Prize: Call for Participation

A Call for Ministries of Education to submit applications CLOSING DATE: 30th July 2019

1. Background

Teachers do one of the most important jobs in society today and must be treated with the same degree of respect as other high profile professions. Teachers can make a difference between success and failure in life; and easily determine the quality of education delivered and acquired. Lack of quality education is a major factor behind many social, political, economic and health challenges faced by the world today; as well as contributing to poverty, prejudice and conflict. The status of the Teacher in Africa is critically important to achieving Agenda 2063 vision of integration, peace and prosperity, by facilitating acquisition of not just skills and knowledge, but also requisite values and attitudes. The AU Teacher Prize has therefore been established as a means for demonstrating respect for teachers and the teaching profession, by encouraging and celebrating the committed teachers in Africa. The Prize mechanism will shine a spotlight on ‘great’ teachers and facilitate sharing of their remarkable stories. It will raise the status of teaching, and inspire the best possible candidates to join the teaching profession. Further, the AU Teacher Prize is meant to serve as a catalyst for similar programmes at regional and national levels. The Teacher Prize is an important and valuable instrument that contributes to the success of Agenda 2063 and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA), with the following objectives:

• Enhance visibility and status of the Teacher in Africa at all levels – Preprimary, Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary including TVET;
•  Promote Teaching as a profession at all levels;
• Celebrate and encourage outstanding teachers.

This  first AU Teacher Prize will be focused on those teaching at the secondary school level only. Ministers responsible for Education in AU Member States are requested to nominate and submit names of two teachers, one male and one female, who meet the eligibility criteria below. Ministries are encouraged to work with relevant national agencies including Teacher Unions, in selecting the two top teachers.

2. Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the AU Teacher Prize in 2019, the applicant must: i. Be a citizen of an African Union Member State ii. Must possess official qualification and evidence of being a teacher at the secondary school level. iii. Be among two teachers (one male, one female), nominated by an AU Member State Ministry of Education iv. Possess the following demonstrated qualities as a teacher:

• Engaging in quality teaching which results in high standards of student achievement;
• Demonstrated knowledge of the subject matter, while keeping up with recent developments;
• Encouraging desirable behaviour among students through positive feedback and other methods;
• Managing classes to enhance the quality of learning processes, while ensuring accommodation of students with varied learning needs and abilities;
• Engaging in activities and networks that enhance the social and cultural value of learning;
• Helping students to achieve their long term career goals by organizing engagement with relevant agencies and information;
• Demonstrating multi-valency in facilitating acquisition of knowledge and skills, as well as values for peace building and responsible citizenship
• Positive engagement with fellow teachers encouraging mutual learning;
• Positive reputation from stakeholders and community members
• Highly commended by students and staff members
• 3. Award Scope and Benefits
• i. A total of Ten (10) winners, two (2) from each geographic region of the African Union will be selected for the Award.
• ii. A Plaque and Certificate of Recognition
• iii. A cash prize of 10,000 US Dollars for each winning candidate.
• 4. Application Procedure

Submit a complete online Application at the following link along with the information stated below: http://www.edu-au.org/teacher-prize

• Brief Curriculum Vitae of the teachers (include age, gender, years of service, formal qualifications, subject(s) that they teach);
• Profile of the schools in which the nominated teachers are teaching: Name, location and type of school – whether it is urban or rural, whether it is boys only, girls only or mixed, whether it is boarding or day, whether it accepts special needs children;
• A Motivational Statement written by each nominated teacher explaining why they believe they should be awarded the AU Teacher Prize;
• A brief explanation on the process used by the Ministry in nominating the teachers. Submissions may be in English or French language. There will be an interview for shortlisted candidates. The deadline for receiving submissions is 30th July 2019 at 11.59pm (GMT+3).
• 5. Timeline of Activities
• The following timeline will be observed in the selection of the winning teachers:
•    Activity                                            Timeframe
•  1. Call for Submissions 31 January – 30 July 2019
• 2. Shortlisting of applicants 30 July – August 30 2019
• 3. Notifications of Shortlisted teachers 2 September 2019
• 4. Interview of Shortlisted teachers 9 – 13 September 2019
• 5. Announcement of winners 30 September 2019