The Good Practice Awards
The Commonwealth Education Good Practice Award was launched in 2005 to celebrate and promote good practices in education throughout the Commonwealth.
The award was first presented in 2006 at the 16th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers in South Africa, where ministers endorsed the programme, in recognition of positive and promising practices in education throughout the Commonwealth. The third round of the awards, presented at the 18CCCEM in Mauritius in August 2012, was won by Rwanda, which was one of 123 applications from 27 countries from around the Commonwealth. The fourth round of awards was launched in March 2014 at Marlborough House, home of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Entries are assessed against six criteria (relevance, measurable impact and effect, sustainability, efficiency and effectiveness, community participation and contribution, and replication). Prizes are awarded to the top three entries, with an additional prize, the Steve Sinnott Award, which goes to the finalist practice that promotes the professional development of teachers.
What makes a good practice?
A good practice submission must be a programme, policy, project or strategy that has made a positive difference to primary school children, secondary school students, their teachers, or the education system or a country in respect of one or more of the eight Action Areas.
Call for submissions
Submissions are open for the Commonwealth Education Good Practice Awards 2015, which will be presented at the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (19CCEM) in The Bahamas in The Bahamas in June 2015.
Commonwealth ministries of education, educational institutions and civil society organizations, providing or promoting primary and secondary education, are invited to submit Good Practices taking place in their country in one or more of the following eight Action Areas:
- Achieving universal primary education;
- Eliminating gender disparities in education;
- Improving quality in education;
- Mitigating the impact of HIV and AIDS on education systems;
- Supporting education in difficult circumstances;
- Using distance education to overcome barriers;
- Using education to promote sustainable development e.g. climate change education; and
- Promoting civil paths to peace e.g. respect and understanding.
Winners will be invited to the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers, where the awards will be presented.
Criteria for the Good Practice Awards
* Relevance: The good practice demonstrates a socio-culturally sensitive and economically appropriate response to the context and challenge of education delivery in a specific country;
* Measurable impact and effect: The value of the good practice is measured through qualitative and quantitative indicators to demonstrate impact and effect;
* Sustainability: The good practice is or can be projected to have positive impact and effect whether intermittently at intervals, or on a consistent long-term basis;
* Efficiency and effectiveness: The good practice demonstrates the efficient and effective use of resources in its implementation;
* Community participation and contribution: The success of the good practice is enhanced or enriched through community and civil society participation, ownership or contribution;
* Replication: Given similar conditions and circumstances, the good practices have the potential to be replicated in other Commonwealth countries.
Submission Guidelines
Submissions must be made by completing all sections of the application form, available at www.thecommonwealth.org/education
* Good Practice Awards submissions from individuals will not be accepted. Submissions must be sent by email and/ or post and addressed to:
The Coordinator, Commonwealth Education Good Practice Awards
Education Section, Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, Pall Mall
