ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the challenges of primary teacher training across Sub-Saharan Africa, and how these challenges have been addressed, in small ways, in one school in Kenya, through the use of Open Educational Resources (OER). It discusses key challenges facing teacher education in Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA). The chapter presents a typical Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) activity. Teacher education in SSA takes place in universities and colleges of education. Students can study for two years and obtain a certificate of education, which qualifies them to teach in a primary school. Three years of study leads to a diploma, which qualifies them to teach in a secondary school, and four years leads to a Bachelor in Education degree. The focus on improving teacher quality is important, but a consequence of this, and of studies like the World Bank report, is to create a dialogue which positions teachers as deficient, referred to as the 'third world teacher' discourse.
