Education Specialist

Job Title:  Education Specialist

Reporting to: Country Representative - Ghana

Contract Type: 3.5 year fixed term contract, with potential extension

Principal Location: Accra, Ghana with regular travel to Kumasi

Updated: January 2023

Part 1: Role Purpose  

Street Child is seeking an education specialist to lead the essential education components of the Street Child Education Outcomes Partnership, an innovative payment-by-results programme and partnership with the Education Outcomes Fund and the Ministry of Education in Ghana. This programme has the ambitious aim of assuring access to education and accelerating learning levels for thousands of children in Accra and Kumasi, to transform the educational landscape in Ghana.

This role will be responsible for designing and delivering foundational and functional learning interventions, as well as learning and life skills circles, and for achieving outstanding outcomes across these programmes, in partnership with schools and our national and international partners. This includes designing and delivering assessment, curriculum, instructional methods and materials, teacher training and teacher performance appraisal, and also includes close coordination with the Ghana Education Services [GES] throughout. The role will lead a team of Centre Coordinators and will report to the Street Child Country Representative for Ghana. Strong communication, collaboration and capacity strengthening skills are critical for success in this role.

Part 2: Key Responsibilities

1) Collaboration and Coherence (20%)

• Ensure foundational and functional learning interventions are informed by expertise and experience from previous programmes and reflect recent research and evidence on teaching and learning including on age-appropriate and adaptive practices, and inclusive practices;
• Engage with stakeholders to coordinate and collaborate on learning programmes and ensure coherence of of transition to schools or Vocational Education and Training [TVET] in Ghana; and
• Engage with stakeholders to prepare and present evidence on progress of programmes.

2) Curriculum (40%)  

Provide significant support for achievement and attainment for out-of-school children in urban communities, including –

• Design and deliver a foundational learning intervention [including instructional methods and materials] for children aged 8 to 12 and a functional learning intervention for children aged 13 to 16 by analysing core curricular standards, syllabus, and scope and sequences, adapting them for acceleration and arranging learning experiences to achieve agreed learning outcomes; and
• Design and deliver learning and life skills circles [including coaching methods and curricular materials] for children who have transitioned to schools or Technical and Vocational Education and Training [TVET] institutions to achieve sustained success in the Basic Education Certificate of Education [BECE] and National Proficiency Certificates I and II.

3)  Tutor Training, Mentoring and Monitoring (20%)

Provide excellent, effective training, mentoring, and monitoring to a team of Centre Coordinators working with tutors to address learning loss and accelerate learning in urban communities, including –

• Design and develop a tutor proficiencies framework to inform tutor training, mentoring, and monitoring, and deliver a tutor appraisal programme aligned, as appropriate, to the National Teacher Education Curriculum Framework [NTECF] and National Teachers’ Standards [NTS];
• Design a tutor training programme and plan with an appropriate scope and sequence to strengthen and support foundational and functional learning;  
• Develop and deliver tutor training modules with specific session plans that are engaging, stimulating and scaffolded;
• Coach and coordinate with Centre Coordinators to cascade training to tutors and conduct Communities of Practice [COP];
• Collaborate with Centre Coordinators to track tutor performance and progress; and
• Convene Centre Coordinators together to reflect on tutor appraisals, ascertain areas of improvement and plan for further targeted training, mentoring, and monitoring of tutors.

4) Targeted, Tailored Support (20%)  

Provide targeted, tailored support to a team of Centre Coordinators working with tutors to advance achievement and attainment for children in urban communities, including to –

• Coordinate with Centre Coordinators to support tutors to use a combination of evidence-informed, intensive group instruction, supplemental instruction, and surgical individualised interventions for learning circles;
• Coordinate with Centre Coordinators to support tutors to use individualisation techniques and tools to tailor and target instruction; and
• Coordinate with Centre Coordinators to support learner transition and retention, including referrals for social support.  

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Part 3: Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Proven experience teaching in comparable contexts
• Strong experience conducting teacher training and coaching in comparable contexts
• Experience designing and delivering assessment, curriculum and capacity strengthening programs
  
  

Desirable

• Experience working in West Africa
• Experience in working with ministries of education or education authorities on education policies or plans

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Capabilities and Competencies

Essential

• Comprehensive understanding of education sector trends and targets
• Demonstrable success in supporting and strengthening teachers and teaching
• Demonstrable success in supporting and strengthening learning outcomes for out-of-school and in-school children
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• Excellent listening, interpersonal and public presentation skills
• Excellent influencing skills
• Excellent ability to cope with conflicting priorities and pressure

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Desirable

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in languages other than English

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Education

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in education or teaching

Desirable

• Master’s degree in education or teaching or Accreditation or certification in specific areas relevant to role

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Other

• Commitment to our vision, mission, and values
• Commitment to protecting the rights of children in all circumstances
• Commitment to localisation and local action
• Credibility in advice and assistance provision, with a high degree of responsiveness and reliability
• Reflective, responsive, and respectful towards communities and colleagues
• Resilient in challenging circumstances

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About Street Child

Street Child works towards a world where all children are safe, in school, and learning. We specialise in supporting children and communities in low-resource environments and emergencies, recognising that the complex, compounded challenges that affect them require innovative, integrated interventions. Our interventions are informed by rigorous, robust evidence and are results-oriented and optimised to create maximum impact for children at minimum cost. Since 2008, we have assisted over 900,000 children across 20+ fragile, conflict and crisis affected countries across Eastern Europe, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Street Child has a strong, sustained commitment to localisation and works in partnership with 80+ local level actors and organisations, underscored by close consultation and collaboration with local communities.

Street Child’s commitment to Safeguarding

Street Child is committed to the safeguarding and protection of the communities we serve, our partners, our volunteers, and our staff.

As part of this commitment to safeguarding, all offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate background checks. Street Child also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

To apply:

Please submit your CV and a covering note explaining why you think you could make an extraordinary impact in this role to (Email at Apply Button) by 9 am on Friday 24^th February 2023.  We will be reviewing applications as they are submitted so interested candidates are encouraged to apply early.

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