The Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) research and development Programme was launched at a conference in South Africa in August 2005.

The setting up of the TESSA consortium is the result of over a decade of joint research and development activities focused on the challenge of teacher education. To bring every child into school millions of extra teachers are needed. Millions of existing teachers also need to upgrade their qualifications. High achieving learners at all levels in the school system need quality teaching. The TESSA consortium is an ambitious international initiative to help all forms of teacher education to expand and develop in ways fit for the twenty-first century.