Time to teach. Guinea Bissau

Teacher absenteeism is one of the most troubling obstacles on the path to universal access to learning opportunities. There is mounting evidence that teacher absenteeism is a particular challenge in low- and middle-income countries around the globe. This significantly impedes children’s chances to learn in Guinea-Bissau. With systematic teacher absenteeism estimates unavailable in Guinea-Bissau, this study seeks to fill an important knowledge gap.

The Time to Teach study seeks to support the Ministry of National Education and Higher Education in its efforts to strengthen teacher’s role in the school to increase their time on task. Its primary objective is to identify factors affecting the various dimensions of primary school teacher attendance and to use this evidence to inform the design and implementation of teacher policies. Specifically, the study looks at four distinct dimensions of teacher attendance: (1) being in school; (2) being punctual (i.e. not arriving late/leaving early); (3) being in the classroom (while in school); and (4) spending sufficient time on task (while in the classroom).