On a late Friday afternoon in August 2019, Hawa Palay—a grade one teacher from Ndambu Public School in Lofa County—has just completed a five-day Read Liberia teacher training course. Upon leaving the auditorium, a notification on her mobile phone catches her attention: it’s a text message informing her that she has already been reimbursed for the training.
Motivated teachers are vital for successful and effective classroom instruction. They show up consistently, inspire, and engage their students. Enthusiastic teachers assess students’ ability, give feedback, and collaborate with other teachers. They are passionate about the important role they hold and enjoy what they do.
All children have the right to learn.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the majority of education systems globally, impacting an estimated 91% of the world’s student population (UNESCO, 2020). Until more information is known about the virus and how to safely return to traditional school-based learning, countries are seeking ways to provide learning so that children and youth still benefit from education while at home. Unfortunately, during times of crisis, people who are the most marginalized risk being omitted from emergency response programming.
This interview series, featuring 9 RTI experts, highlights the breadth and depth of our early childhood development and education work. Contributions include first-of-their-kind assessments of child development in low- and middle- income countries (LMIC), theoretical and empirical analyses of early years investments by governments, and large-scale preprimary interventions improving learning outcomes for over 100,000 children.
