As we mark International Day of Education, we are reminded that achieving inclusive, equitable and high-quality education depends not only on policies and funding, but on how well teachers are supported to grow and thrive.
This message was strongly echoed in November when Jane Nantayi Sebuyungo, Associate Head of Design and Programme Readiness at STIR Education Uganda, joined global education leaders in Addis Ababa for Educators Shaping Futures. Co-hosted by The World Bank, UNESCO International Institute of Capacity Building for Africa (UNESCO IICBA), Florida State University and the Ethiopian Ministry of Education.
The event brought together policymakers, researchers and practitioners to explore how education systems can better prepare and support teachers throughout their careers.
Jane contributed as a panellist in a session led by the Learning Generation Initiative, which focused on the role of ‘leadership teams’ in strengthening teacher professional development. Drawing on STiR Education’s system-led work in Uganda, she shared how sustainable improvement is driven by intrinsic motivation rather than compliance. When district officials, school leaders and teachers work as a connected leadership team, professional learning becomes part of everyday practice. Through coaching, role modelling, peer learning and reflection, leaders create the conditions for teachers to feel trusted, valued and motivated, enabling continuous improvement that directly benefits learners.
International Day of Education calls on all of us to reflect on what it will take to deliver quality education for every child. One clear lesson from Educators Shaping Futures is that no single actor can do this alone. Strong, distributed leadership across education systems allows teacher development models to adapt to local realities, respond to real needs and scale sustainably.
Reflecting on the event, Jane noted that the real challenge lies in prioritising what matters most and letting go of what doesn’t , so that motivation, collaboration and learning can flourish. For STiR Education, this reinforces a core belief: empowering leadership teams is not just a strategy for teacher development, it is essential to building education systems that work for all.
