Lesotho’s education system has historically faced significant challenges in managing and supporting its teaching workforce. Prior to a peer learning exchange with Zambia, the country lacked coherent structures for teacher professional development, data management, and regulatory oversight. There was no approved national framework guiding teacher education and Continuous Professional Development (CPD), which limited systematic professional growth. Consequently, teachers were often unprepared to address learning gaps, implement inclusive education practices, enhance classroom effectiveness, and integrate digital competencies—all of which are crucial for improving student outcomes.
In June 2025, a high-level delegation from Lesotho, including representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) and teacher training institutions, participated in a Regional Competency Enhancement Workshop in Lusaka, Zambia. Organized by UNESCO IICBA through the KIX Africa 19 Hub in collaboration with the Teaching Council of Zambia, the workshop brought together representatives from eight Anglophone African countries to explore practical strategies for strengthening CPD programs, Teacher Management Information Systems (TMIS), and functional Teaching Councils. Lesotho’s delegation aimed to learn from Zambia’s systematic CPD framework, digital TMIS for teacher deployment and monitoring, and the governance model of its Teaching Council.
Before the Zambia exchange, Lesotho’s teacher management system was characterized by fragmented CPD initiatives, manually managed teacher data, and a non-functional Teaching Council. CPD was largely donor-driven and not aligned with national priorities. The manual handling of teacher records made deployment and professional tracking inefficient, and the legally established Teaching Council remained inactive, with registration and licensing handled by an office lacking proper authority. These gaps contributed to systemic weaknesses in teacher development, planning, and accountability.
The Zambia learning experience offered Lesotho practical and context-specific lessons. Zambia’s school-based CPD framework demonstrated how structured, continuous professional development can be integrated into appraisal and career progression. The digital TMIS highlighted the benefits of real-time data collection for teacher planning, deployment, and monitoring of CPD participation. The functional Teaching Council model showed how strong legal backing and governance structures can manage teacher registration, professional conduct, and development effectively. These elements were identified as both inspiring and adaptable for Lesotho.
Following the exchange, Lesotho began implementing key reforms. A rapid needs assessment was conducted to inform the national CPD framework, ensuring it reflects teachers’ realities. The country initiated development of a digital TMIS, with capacity-building support from Zambia’s ICT team and planned training for Lesotho’s Ministry IT staff. Stakeholder discussions intensified around operationalizing the Teaching Council, drawing on Zambia’s governance and regulatory practices as a model. Pilot initiatives have included the CPD rapid assessment, ICT capacity-building programs for TMIS development, and drafting proposals to activate and fund the Teaching Council.
Collaboration with development partners such as UNICEF, UNESCO, RTIA, and COL has supported technical guidance, pilot initiatives, and alignment of pre-service and in-service teacher training programs. Early outcomes are already visible: teacher and inspector engagement in CPD has increased, institutional commitment to TMIS digitalization is growing, and policy discussions on professionalization via the Teaching Council have gained momentum. Teachers and school leaders have welcomed the structured, needs-based CPD approach, while policymakers recognize the TMIS as crucial for planning, accountability, and equitable resource allocation.
The Lesotho experience underscores the value of cross-country peer learning. Exposure visits provide practical, context-specific solutions, build political will, and foster regional collaboration and stakeholder consensus. Challenges remain, including limited financial and technical capacity, institutional fragmentation across CPD, TMIS, and the Teaching Council, and resistance to change among some stakeholders accustomed to manual processes.
Looking ahead, Lesotho plans to finalize and launch its national CPD framework, build a functional TMIS, and operationalize the Teaching Council with teacher registration, licensing, and regulatory functions. Sustainability and scaling efforts will focus on institutionalizing CPD within MoET policies and budgets, integrating TMIS into national ICT infrastructure, and securing legal and financial provisions to enable the Teaching Council to operate independently and sustainably. These reforms mark a significant step toward strengthening teacher management, professional development, and the overall quality of education in Lesotho.
