Teacher Education and Development in Africa: The Lost Opportunity

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Teacher Education is an essential education programme that focuses on Teacher preparation and professionalization of teaching career. It prepares and produces school teachers who are considered the back bone of development in any society. It is against this background that the present paper was designed, developed and presented. The paper examines the role of Teacher education programme in development and how this is done. Further, it discusses the development opportunities the African continent has lost by not organising and administering this programme of education efficiently and effectively since the mid-eighties (1980‟s). Given the observed widespread under- development across the continent is a clear manifestation that African countries have not properly harnessed Teacher education programme for national development. The paper seeks, through well thought out suggestions, the way of redeeming this programme in Africa so as to foster the expected modern development. This will make this continent competitive globally in matters related to development.