Life cycle
2007-25
Country/Region
Egypt
Client/Partner
British Council, Ministry of Education
Vision
More widespread knowledge and better understanding of English language worldwide, empowering people to access global opportunities and build international connections.
Situation
The Egyptian Ministry of Education has initiated a major transformational programme that will overhaul the school education system over the coming years. Curriculum, assessment and pedagogy are at the forefront of these changes but enhancing English – both as a subject and as a medium for instruction – is recognised as key to the success of these reforms. The British Council is a strategic partner of the Ministry of Education with a track record of delivering high-quality and impactful programmes. Our work in English for Education Systems is supporting the Ministry’s efforts to enhance English through the design and delivery of projects that reach thousands of teachers in the system.
Implementation
- Between 2017 – 2021, (1,194) Teacher Educators have been recruited and trained in modern and communicative teaching pedagogies as part of the National Teacher Training Programme (NTTP) . They have established 2000+ Teacher Activity Groups (TAGs) across the 27 governorates of Egypt.
- In 2021, the new Teach. Engage. Aspire. (TEA) programme was launched. It’s a three-year programme with a new focus to improve teachers’ English proficiency. Programme is following the same model of delivery through TAGs as an effective CPD method to engage teachers at scale.
- TAGs bring together teachers twice a month to develop their professional practice through participation in activities, discussions and reflections.
Impact
- Teachers across all 27 governorates are accessing high-quality CPD, including in previously neglected localities, particularly in Upper-Egypt and North Sinai
- From 2017 to 2021 (1,194) teacher educators have facilitated 2000+ TAGs to 20,000+ teachers across Egypt.
- (94%) of teacher educators who facilitated E-TAGs self reported that they have improved their skills at facilitating online teacher discussions through the programme.
- (91.2%) of teachers who attended E-TAGs self reported that they are more confident in their ability to use technology in their lessons.
- Building on the success of the NTTP, in 2022/2023 MoE joined the British Council newly launched national programme Teach. Engage. Aspire. (TEA) with (183) teacher educators trained as TAG facilitators in year 1, who have cascaded learning to (5,838) schoolteachers through the TAGs. In year 2, (204) teacher educators facilitated TAGs to (7,497) country wide.
- In Year 1 evaluation, data showed that 91.2% of the surveyed teachers felt their confidence about their spoken English has improved a great deal or quite a lot, 90.4% said their spoken English generally improved a great deal or quite a lot, 95.8% believed their knowledge of English grammar has improved a great deal or quite a lot.
Mutual benefit
The British Council is demonstrating itself as the partner of choice for English education in Egypt. Our consultancy and capacity building work is supporting the Ministry of Education confront and overcome challenges in teacher education, and our thought leadership is strengthening our reputation as an authority in English language teaching, learning and assessment among teachers. Teacher Activity Groups (TAGs) are proving to be impactful, value-for-money and sustainable. The benefits they realise will continue beyond the British Council’s involvement in this project, supporting our interests for years to come.