School Priorities - SNV

Quality Education
If there are no mirrors in classrooms, how do teachers see themselves? The answer is that
they see themselves in the reflections of their students. A student who can barely keep her
eyes open reflects a teacher who is not engaging her in the learning process. On the other
hand, a smiling student who is eager to contribute indicates a teacher employing good
techniques. In a perfect world, teachers would be able to read students’ body language and
adjust their lessons and teaching styles accordingly. But in the real world they need help.
With support from Edukans, a Netherlands-based NGO and SNV partner that
provides financial and technical support to develop education in Uganda, the MOSIQE
(Monitoring, Sharing & Improving the Quality of Education) Project began as a pilot in
Bukedea District to literally show teachers how they were doing.
In MOSIQE, teacher education experts from the University of Amsterdam worked with
primary teaching colleges (PTCs) and a local capacity builder (LCB), Transform Uganda,
to film what teachers and children were doing in their classrooms. PTC staff and cluster
coordinating tutors (CCTs) then used the videos as part of professional development
sessions.
The videos served as the starting point for self-assessment, as teachers identified their own
strengths and weaknesses as they saw them on screen. They watched them in groups—
together with teachers, headteachers, district education officials and PTC staff—to identify,
share, use and internalize the best teaching ideas they witnessed. There they advised each
other on how to practically improve their teaching methods. After reflecting on their
own and each other’s teaching, instructors discussed how to vary their methods and start
Teachers have started to ask themselves, “How can I make
a difference in my classroom? "
16