Monash University partners with Uttar Pradesh government to transform teacher education

A delegation from the Monash University Faculty of Education recently launched the Monash Teaching Excellence Academy (TEA) in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India, this week to deliver a transformative professional development initiative for the state’s massive educator workforce.

Led by Monash Faculty of Education Associate Dean International, Associate Professor Deana Leahy, the delegation visited schools across Varanasi, Lucknow, and surrounding districts from 19–22 April.

The visits allowed the team to conduct a rapid situational analysis, ensuring future training programs were deeply responsive to the unique classroom realities of India’s most populous state.

Uttar Pradesh is a historic centre for education. The State is currently looking to build upon that heritage to enhance educational outcomes for its communities.

This partnership aims to address these gaps by moving away from ‘compliance-driven’ training toward a more impactful, evidence-based model of Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

“Our mission in Uttar Pradesh was to listen first. By understanding the daily challenges teachers face, from infrastructure to class sizes, we can co-design a professional development ecosystem that truly enlightens and empowers,” Associate Professor Deana Leahy said.

The visit culminated in an inaugural event at the Australian High Commission on 22 April, which was attended by senior UP government bureaucrats and the CEO of the State Transformation Commission.

Following this, Associate Professor Gillian Kidman and Dr Hazel Tan from the Monash Faculty of Education delivered an intensive two-day workshop at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, for 250 primary school teachers on 23 and 24 April focussed on Computational Thinking and AI. This collaboration aligned with the ambitious goals of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which set a target for all teachers to undertake at least 50 hours of CPD per year.

Professor Craig Jeffrey, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International) and Senior Vice President, said the collaboration marks a significant milestone in our commitment to deepening Monash’s engagement with India and the broader Indo-Pacific region.

“By bringing together world-class research with local classroom expertise, we are not just sharing knowledge, but fostering a meaningful intellectual dialogue that addresses some of the most pressing educational challenges of our time,” Professor Jeffrey said.

Dean of the Faculty of Education, Professor Mary Ryan, said by integrating Monash’s global expertise in teaching excellence, the program aimed to bridge implementation gaps and elevate the state's education standards to international levels.

“Our work in Uttar Pradesh is about empowering the state’s dedicated teachers with the evidence-based strategies they need to ensure every child, regardless of their background, can achieve foundational literacy and numeracy. It is a privilege to partner with the UP government to support such an ambitious and vital transformation,” Professor Mary Ryan said.