About us
A quality education for all
A quality education for all
Millions of children are not receiving a quality education. Lifelong learning opportunities and economic growth are therefore being stunted. The Commonwealth Education Trust invests in teachers in low- and middle-income settings by providing accessible teacher professional development.
Our vision
All children receive quality education from a transformative and supported teacher
OUr mission
To build in-service teacher capacity through our digital, high-impact programme and virtual community, to enrich both their lives and those of the children they teach.
Our History
Formerly known as the Commonwealth Institute, we are a well-established, leading charity that champions education across the Commonwealth. Today, our digital platforms reach teachers in underserved, often rural communities around the world; providing them with much needed professional development courses. Click below to read more about our story.
First formed by royal charter in 1887, the Imperial Institute promoted closer links between the countries of the British Empire. It aimed to develop commercial and industrial resources and advance the commercial and industrial education of its people. It hoped to unite the citizens of the Empire.
In 1958, the Imperial Institute became the Commonwealth Institute, fostering greater awareness and understanding of the Commonwealth and its countries through exhibitions, educational and cultural activities.
The Commonwealth Education Trust was established as the successor trust to the Commonwealth Institute, with the exclusive purpose of advancing education in the Commonwealth.
Over our first ten years, we invested in long-term educational projects that encouraged innovation in education, and sharing of experience and best practice across the Commonwealth. We funded The Centre for Commonwealth Education, a ten-year collaboration with the University of Cambridge. This built developed good practices in school leadership, pedagogical expertise, and initial and continuing teacher education.
Our innovation continued as an early Coursera partner, where we published our MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), which provided much needed teaching materials to tackle global teacher shortages.
In alignment with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education, we launched our Teach2030 programme for teachers in underserved communities.
Our innovative EdTech platform and courses combine meaningful technology with local support structures, helping teachers to develop their day-to-day foundational skills and digital competencies. This ultimately improves the learning outcomes of the children they teach.
Our people
We are proud to be part of the Commonwealth network of 54 member countries. We receive guidance on issues related to the Commonwealth through our three rotating Commonwealth Council Advisory Trustees. Alongside our highly experienced educational technology team, we are governed by our Trustee Board who are leaders in education, business, and philanthropy. We could not do our work without the significant financial and advisory support of our partners and extensive educational network.
Our impact
- 55% course completion compared to online course average of 12.6%
- Over 40,000 teachers enrolled onto Teach2030 from 155 countries
- Over 95% of teachers have improved their teaching by taking Teach2030 courses
