Standard 2: Training Professional Development and Support

‘Teacher’ refers to instructors, facilitators or animators in formal and non-formal education programmes. Teachers may have different experience and training. They may be older learners or community members.

The development of formal training curricula and content is the responsibility of education authorities. Curricula and content should reflect the needs and rights of learners and the particular needs of education personnel in the context within budget and time constraints.

Training content may include:

• core subject knowledge, such as literacy, numeracy and life skills appropriate to the context, including health education; 
• pedagogy and teaching methodologies, including positive discipline and classroom management, participatory approaches and inclusive education; 
• codes of conduct for teachers and other education personnel, including condemnation of gender-based violence against learners and appropriate report and referral mechanisms; 
• disaster risk reduction and conflict prevention principles; 
• psychosocial development and support, including both learners’ and teachers’ needs and the availability of local 
services and referral systems; 
• human rights principles and perspectives and humanitarian law, to understand their meaning and intention and their direct and indirect connection with learners’ needs and the responsibilities of learners, teachers, communities and education authorities; 
• other content appropriate to the context. 

Training initiatives should include how to address issues of diversity and discrimination. For instance, gender-sensitive teaching strategies encourage teachers of both sexes to understand and commit to gender equity in classrooms. Training of female education personnel and community members can reinforce positive changes in the classroom and the broader community.

Whenever possible, education authorities should take the lead in the design and implementation of formal and non-formal teacher training activities. When education authorities are unable to lead this process, an inter-agency coordination committee can provide guidance and coordination. Training plans should include in-service training and, where necessary, the revitalisation of teacher training institutions and university education facilities. These institutions play a vital role in rebuilding a sustainable education sector.

National education authorities and other relevant stakeholders should start a dialogue about curricula for in-service teacher training and mechanisms for its recognition at the beginning of an emergency response. Where possible, in-service training should be designed to fulfil national requirements for qualified teacher status. Additional elements relevant to the emergency, such as meeting psychosocial needs, should be also incorporated. Where refugee school systems are separate from the local education system, the in-service training of refugee teachers should build towards qualified teacher status in the country of origin or asylum.

Local trainers should be identified to develop and implement appropriate training for teachers. Capacity building of their facilitation and training skills may be needed. A balance of male and female trainers and trainees should be promoted. Where limited numbers of trainers are available, or they are inadequately trained, institutions providing in-service and pre-service teacher training may be strengthened. This should be a coordinated effort by national and regional institutions and external agencies such as UN agencies and NGOs. It may include:

• review of the teacher training curriculum and textbooks;
• inclusion of updated and emergency-related content;
• provision of practical teaching experience, such as serving as teaching assistants or interns.

Approval and accreditation by education authorities are crucial to ensure quality and recognition of teacher training in the emergency through to recovery. For refugee teachers, education authorities in the host or home country or area should determine whether the training is acceptable and adapted to the needs of learners and teachers.

Teachers should be trained on how to identify needs for specific teaching aids based on the curriculum. They should learn how to create effective and appropriate teaching aids using locally available materials.

Teachers need skills and knowledge to help learners and the community to prevent and mitigate future disasters. They may need support to integrate the promotion of risk reduction and conflict prevention into teaching and learning. This includes information and skills needed to identify, prevent and respond to potential hazards and disasters faced by communities.