While the Government of Malawi is making strenuous efforts to achieve targets associated with the millennium development goal of achieving primary education for all, the sheer numbers of pupil enrolments has put increased strains on the fragile education system, particularly in rural areas. One of the key challenges for achieving quality education is initial and continuing professional development of teachers. This presentation focuses on identifying and potential ways of meeting the professional development needs of educational leaders, both head teachers and middle leaders.
This part of the symposium aims to address the first two of the conference themes:

• How might educational innovations be applied to meet these needs? In particular what lessons can be learned from other projects in which the Open University is involved in Sub Saharan Africa which involve use of ICTs for teacher development?
• In what ways can university linkages with schools be established in a way which enhances the leadership capacity of schools and school districts and contributes to developing sustainable programmes for professional development.