Education Specialist

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

Under the supervision of the Education Specialist (Head of Section), the International UNV Education Specialist will be responsible for supporting the Ministry of Education in strengthening the foundational literacy and numeracy in primary education through providing technical inputs to the annual learning assessments and data analysis of assessment results. The Education Specialist is expected to document good practices and lessons learned to continue strengthening this area. The selected candidate will also be responsible for actively sharing good practices and materials with the Ministry that are applicable to the country context. Moreover, the selected candidate will support the Ministry’s expansion plan of inclusive education for children with disabilities.

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy With UNICEF support, the Ministry of Education formally assessed primary school students to evaluate the learning outcome level for the first time in decades which is not only a huge milestone for the sector but also for the country. The assessments were designed for Grade 3 and Grade 6 students, focusing on the learning levels in Spanish and Mathematics.

14,032 primary students (7,136 from Grade 3; and 6,896 from Grade 6; 52% of girls and 48% of boys) participated in the summative assessments to evaluate their learning outcomes in Spanish and Mathematics. Through UNICEF support and advocacy, the initiative is a huge milestone for the country to formally assess learning on a national scale, including public and private schools.

Inclusive Education The offer of inclusive education continues to be limited in Equatorial Guinea. However, through UNICEF’s advocacy, the Ministry has increasingly paid more attention to the importance of inclusive education. UNICEF is currently mobilizing funds to support the Ministry in establishing special classrooms for children with disabilities in public schools.

Under the direct supervision of the Education Specialist (Head of Section), the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: •Provide technical support to the Ministry of Education in documenting the good practic-es and lessons learned from the second round of the learning assessments planned at the end of the current school year.
•Provide technical support in analysing the data on the assessment results, including comparisons of the results from the first round in 2021.
•Provide technical support to the Ministry of Education in developing a teacher training programme on formative assessments and innovative pedagogical approaches to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy teaching skills. •Arrange and/or participate in coordination and technical meetings and discussions with the Ministry of Education, partners and UN agencies to achieve expected results. •Conduct follow-ups and monitoring of education activities through field visits including learning assessments, inclusive education and beyond. Periodic field visits may be re-quired in the insular and/or continental regions. •Collaborate and coordinate with UNICEF programme specialists, officers, and pro-gramme assistants as well as the operation team to achieve common goals. •Participate in and contribute to the weekly staff meetings and programme meetings. Join other relevant meetings as required, in consultation with the Education Specialist (Head of Section). •Undertake other relevant tasks to education and/or the country office, in consultation with the Education Specialist (Head of Section).

Accountability Adaptability and Flexibility Building Trust Client Orientation Commitment and Motivation Commitment to Continuous Learning Communication Creativity Empowering Others Ethics and Values Integrity Judgement and Decision-making Knowledge Sharing Leadership Managing Performance Planning and Organizing Professionalism Respect for Diversity Self-Management Technological Awareness Vision Working in Teams

teaching or work experience in schools.
- Primary and/or secondary education. Preschool education is considered an asset. - Designing, implementing or monitoring of national exams. Work experience in national exams in Spanish and Mathematics is considered an advantage.

The country is divided into two regions (insular and continental). The continental region is made up of several islands with different climates and ecosystems. The most important cities are Malabo (insular region) and Bata (continental region). The country is multicultural with about 5 - 6 ethnic groups.

The selected candidate will be based in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. Malabo is a family duty station; the candidate is allowed to bring his/her dependants. Overall, public transport is limited. For safety, UNICEF highly recommends that the selected candidate drive his/her own vehicle during the assignment. The climate in Equatorial Guinea is typically tropical with an average temperature of 30 degree Celsius throughout the year.

Malaria and typhoid are one of the main endemics, the growing incidence of HIV cases is also a concern. It should be noted that currently, after the fourth COVID 19 wave, the country is in a period of relaxation of the measures, maintaining a positivity rate below 1%.