• The Early Grade Learning Specialist will work under the guidance of the technical lead for teaching and Learning, and with the other output 2 specialists, , MOEST, TIE, PO- RALG and  short term consultants to:
• Build strong relationships with Government Institutions at all levels
• Support the use of data to plan targeted evidence- based interventions that improve learning up to standard 3 targeted according to need
• Support the rollout of the School Readiness Programme
• Support the development of transition approaches at the start of standard 1
• Support the improvement of early literacy
• Coordinate activities related to learning, including development of the workplan, reporting on progress, and QA of materials ​
• Ensure that activities are planned and implemented with the knowledge, support and participation of Key government education Institutions ​
• Lead the implementation of the interventions, including the School Readiness Programme, the development of the 3Rs and the transition work, in the LGAs​
• Support the design and implementation of field testing to monitor and evaluate interventions​
• Support the dissemination of results of the field testing ​
• Provide a link between the central programme, the regions and LGAs​
• Ensure linkages in work with other outputs in the project eg: inclusion, evaluation, headteachers etc
• Make contacts with other organisations/projects working in the same sphere in order to understand lessons learnt and consider potential for replicability
• Prepare monthly and quarterly progress report related to early years work
• Support the development, production and dissemination of resources and materials .

Candidate Specification

Skills

• A practical understanding of effective teaching and learning in early grade years (pre primary to standard I and II years
• An ability to build relationships and work closely with key Government personnel at all levels
• Ability to prioritise and work under pressure.
• Ability to work in a collaborative team setting.
• Proficient in using MS packages, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong organisational skills, reliability, and adherence to ethical standards
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Fluency in written and spoken English, Kiswahili preferred.

Experience

• Significant years of experience teaching in early years (pre-primary and standards 1 and 2)
• Experience of working with Government Institutions
• Experience of working in large projects

Knowledge

• Up to date knowledge of teaching and learning methods in Pre-primary and Primary school
• Knowledge of Government education systems

Qualification

• Bachelors (in Education) or more

Job Profile

The UK aid funded Shule Bora programme aims to improve the quality of pre-primary and primary schools in Tanzania. There are four main outcomes: improving learning outcomes for all children, improving transition rates to secondary schools for girls, ensuring children are safe in and around schools, and helping children with disabilities access quality education.

The programme will:

• Work with Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST) and the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) to test, adapt and implement at scale quality, gender-transformative, disability-inclusive and safe to learn education approaches in 9 regions, generating learning and evidence on how to achieve these outcomes affordably and at scale.
• Support GoT with the timely and effective implementation of the PforR mechanism through technical assistance and capacity building, with a strong focus on data verification, financial management and risk management. Support lesson learning processes from PforR so that these can be embedded into government processes and shared with development partners and other key stakeholders. Ensure that lessons and best practice from (1) are used to inform PfR mechanism.
• Manage and coordinate programme activities, with a strong focus on (i) ensuring a high quality programme, financial and risk management oversight, (ii) working with an independent Learning and Evidence (L&E) provider on establishing regular, rigorous and community-driven monitoring and evaluation activities, and (iii) developing and implementing a strategy for effective communication of Shule Bora objectives, results, and lessons learned to a range of target audiences.

Early grade learning will be supported by the roll out of the School Readiness intervention and the strong focus on improving the transition of all children to primary school. This is in line with Shule Bora’s inclusion strategy, TIE’s one stage policy on pre-primary to Standard 2, as well as the National Multi-sectoral Early Childhood Development Programme (NM – ECDP) for children 0-8.

In turn, all these are aligned to Sustainable Development Goal Target 4.2 which states that “by 2030, countries to ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development”.

Output 2 learning specialist therefore needs to be able to coordinate within and across sectors, not only MoEST and PO-RALG but also MOHCDCEC and national organisations (e.g. TECDEN) as well as development partners and International NGOs.

Other Information

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