ABSTRACT
Teachers are recognised as key actors in processes of educational development and quality improvement, and teacher education has been made a priority by many different governments and agencies. However, teachers are rarely consulted on issues of policy and education reform (Villegas Reimers and Reimers, 1996). A recent study by Education International highlights the lack of teacher involvement in the assessment of Education for All (EFA) and national strategy development. In particular, teacher unions have been excluded from policy consultations and negotiations (Education International, 2003). According to a Voluntary Services Overseas study, this failure to involve teachers and the apparent lack of interest in teachers’ opinions are major factors in the ‘fragile’ and ‘wavering’ levels of teacher morale and motivation in development contexts (VSO, 2002). Few ministries of education and large development agencies have systemic ways for senior policy makers to learn about what is happening at the school level or for classroom teachers, many of whom are women, to inform these policy makers about their experiences. Although not specifically documented, it seems likely that in many contexts women teachers participate even less than men teachers in policy dialogues and consultations. Women are often underrepresented at all levels of educational decision making, and, although women do much of the teaching, ‘most theorizing about schools and classrooms and teaching and learning has been done by men’ (Miller, 1995).
