A Global Partnership to promote equity

A Global Partnership to promote equity

and accelerate

progress towards MDGs

Education for Rural Education for Rural PeoplePeople (ERP)(ERP)

Lavinia Gasperini Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Lavinia Gasperini Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO )Nations (FAO )

David Acker – IOWA State UniversityDavid Acker – IOWA State UniversityMarch 2009 - BONNMarch 2009 - BONN

A message to the Oslo EFA High A message to the Oslo EFA High Level MeetingLevel Meeting

Fight today’s main global inequity, Fight today’s main global inequity, address the Rural- Urban gap, address the Rural- Urban gap,

and invest in and invest in

EEducation for ducation for

RRural ural

PPeople eople

What is EFA main challenge ?What is EFA main challenge ?

EFA to reach the un reachedEFA to reach the un reached

Reach the un richReach the un rich Reach the poorReach the poor Reach the rural ….promote an urgent Reach the rural ….promote an urgent

“innovation“innovation“ “

What is EFA main challenge ?What is EFA main challenge ?

EFA to promote an urgent “innovationEFA to promote an urgent “innovation“ to “ to stop reproducing inequity: stop reproducing inequity: prioritize investments in education for prioritize investments in education for developing the capacities of developing the capacities of rural:rural: Children (4 out of 5 of out of school children Children (4 out of 5 of out of school children

are rural)are rural) ->Youth and Adults (4 out of 5 of out of ->Youth and Adults (4 out of 5 of out of

illiterates are rural)illiterates are rural)

ERP ObjectivesERP Objectives

Promoting equity, sustainable development and Promoting equity, sustainable development and democracy.democracy.

Increasing investments to promote access to Increasing investments to promote access to quality basic education for rural peoplequality basic education for rural people

Enhancing governance and national capacity to Enhancing governance and national capacity to plan and implement education programs to plan and implement education programs to address learning needs of rural peopleaddress learning needs of rural people

HistoryHistory

The The majoritymajority of the poor, food insecure, illiterate of the poor, food insecure, illiterate adults, out of school children, refugees, adults, out of school children, refugees, displaced, nomads, people in remote settings displaced, nomads, people in remote settings and affected by HIV/AIDS live in and affected by HIV/AIDS live in ruralrural areas. areas.

Addressing the educational needs of this Addressing the educational needs of this "neglected majority" is key to achieving the "neglected majority" is key to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable Development

A strategic partnership to promote ESDA strategic partnership to promote ESD

(Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director-General of FAO)(Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director-General of FAO)

ERP Inter sectoral HistoryERP Inter sectoral History

2002: ERP launched at the World Summit for 2002: ERP launched at the World Summit for Sustainable Development, Johannesburg Sustainable Development, Johannesburg

2000 World Education Forum, Dakar, (Senegal) & 2000 World Education Forum, Dakar, (Senegal) & 1990 World Summit on Education for All Jomtien 1990 World Summit on Education for All Jomtien (Thailand)(Thailand)

1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights

Key ERP policy achievements Key ERP policy achievements

EFA HLM Beijing 2005: ERP key EFA HLM Beijing 2005: ERP key policy prioritypolicy priority

Senior government representatives Senior government representatives from MOE and MAG of 11 African from MOE and MAG of 11 African countries reiterated the need to countries reiterated the need to address the gross inequalities that address the gross inequalities that marginalize rural people (Addis Ababa marginalize rural people (Addis Ababa 2005; Rome 2007)2005; Rome 2007)

ERP and the food crisis ERP and the food crisis World Food Summit (WFS) 1996 = 800 World Food Summit (WFS) 1996 = 800

billion undernourished . billion undernourished . TargetTarget: : Reduce Reduce hunger by 50% by 2015hunger by 50% by 2015 (->Year 2000 MDG 1 ) (->Year 2000 MDG 1 )

WFS Plan of Action, Commitment 2 WFS Plan of Action, Commitment 2

" promoting access for all, especially the poor " promoting access for all, especially the poor and members of vulnerable and disadvantaged and members of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups to groups to basic educationbasic education" …"strengthen their " …"strengthen their capacity for self-reliance"..."promote access capacity for self-reliance"..."promote access and support for and support for complete primary educationcomplete primary education" " of "of "children in rural areas and to girlschildren in rural areas and to girls". ".

ERP and the food crisis ERP and the food crisis Millennium Development Goals 1 : eradicate Millennium Development Goals 1 : eradicate

extreme poverty and reduce hunger by 50% by extreme poverty and reduce hunger by 50% by 20152015

High-Level Conference on Food Security: the High-Level Conference on Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy 3-5 Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy 3-5 June 2008 : June 2008 :

world food production must rise 50 % by 2030. world food production must rise 50 % by 2030. This will require investments exceeding $ 15 This will require investments exceeding $ 15 billion to $ 20 billion a year in the farm economies billion to $ 20 billion a year in the farm economies of poor countries , including research into robust, of poor countries , including research into robust, high-yielding crops suited to poor regions like high-yielding crops suited to poor regions like sub-Saharan Africa”… sub-Saharan Africa”…

-> develop rural people capacity to utilize such -> develop rural people capacity to utilize such investments and increase food production investments and increase food production

HistoryHistory

Famine does not happen in democracies Famine does not happen in democracies because educated people have the because educated people have the resilience to cope and adapt to changes, resilience to cope and adapt to changes, crises and shocks and in doing so they crises and shocks and in doing so they feed themselves, produce food for the feed themselves, produce food for the market and income for themselves.market and income for themselves.

Investments in ERP and food security Investments in ERP and food security have a direct relation have a direct relation

ERP Contributes to MDGs:ERP Contributes to MDGs:

ERP plays an important supporting role in the ERP plays an important supporting role in the achievement of all MDGsachievement of all MDGs

ERP is critical to the achievement of:ERP is critical to the achievement of: MDG 1:MDG 1: Eradicating extreme poverty & hunger Eradicating extreme poverty & hunger MDG 2:MDG 2: Achieving universal primary education Achieving universal primary education MDG 3:MDG 3: Promoting gender equity, empowering Promoting gender equity, empowering

womenwomen MDG 7:MDG 7: Ensuring environmental sustainability Ensuring environmental sustainability

FAOFAO

Food and Agriculture Organization Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nationsof the United Nations

Ministries Ministries of of

AgricultureAgriculture

UNESCOUNESCO


EducationEducation

FAOFAO


AgricultureAgriculture

UNESCOUNESCO


EducationEducation

Donors, Donors, ADEA and ADEA and other I.O.other I.O.

NGOsNGOs

Civil Civil SocietySociety

FAOFAO

PresentationPresentation

8 Challenges8 Challenges



8 Lessons8 Lessons



8 Lessons8 Lessons

8 Examples8 Examples

Access to EducationAccess to Education

Fees and other costsFees and other costs Distance to schools and lack of boarding Distance to schools and lack of boarding

schoolsschools Availability of adult education and skills Availability of adult education and skills

trainingtraining

Challenge # 1Challenge # 1

Access to EducationAccess to Education

School attendance in rural areas has School attendance in rural areas has improved primarily due to:improved primarily due to: Removal or reduction of school feesRemoval or reduction of school fees Free access to learning materialsFree access to learning materials School constructionSchool construction

But the percentage of rural people in But the percentage of rural people in secondary and higher education and skills secondary and higher education and skills training is still irrelevant.training is still irrelevant.

Lesson # 1Lesson # 1

Colombia Rural Education Programme, Colombia Rural Education Programme,

Adressing holistically all levels of the Adressing holistically all levels of the Education system, including teacher Education system, including teacher training training

Example # 1Example # 1 Access to EducationAccess to Education

Quality of EducationQuality of Education

Quality depends on positive discrimination and Quality depends on positive discrimination and extra investments for rural people extra investments for rural people Infrastructures and facilities Infrastructures and facilities teaching materials teaching materials teachers training teachers training evaluationevaluation curriculum relevance curriculum relevance links to communitylinks to community


Quality of EducationQuality of Education

Quality and relevance are vital to increase the Quality and relevance are vital to increase the access, retention and effectiveness of education access, retention and effectiveness of education for rural people.for rural people.

Contextualized learning Contextualized learning allows learners to study and allows learners to study and solve real-life problems and solve real-life problems and to acquire life skills to acquire life skills


School gardening programs contribute to School gardening programs contribute to relevance and quality and to school relevance and quality and to school feeding programsfeeding programs

Community participation in determining Community participation in determining combination of national and local curricular combination of national and local curricular has proven successfulhas proven successful

Example # 2Example # 2 Quality of EducationQuality of Education

Gender Responsive EnvironmentsGender Responsive Environments Accommodations must be made to attract and Accommodations must be made to attract and

retain school-aged girls and adult womenretain school-aged girls and adult women


GGender ender Responsive Responsive EnvironmentsEnvironments

Flexible timetables to Flexible timetables to accommodate peak labor accommodate peak labor demand for girls and adult demand for girls and adult women women

Well-supervised boarding Well-supervised boarding facilities to safeguard girlsfacilities to safeguard girls

Take-home rations for girls to Take-home rations for girls to compensate for labor lost compensate for labor lost when they attend schoolwhen they attend school


Gender Responsive EnvironmentsGender Responsive Environments Half-day long farmer training short courses Half-day long farmer training short courses

geared toward women that have geared toward women that have responsibilities at homeresponsibilities at home

Example # 3Example # 3

Photo: Wikipedia

Governance EfficiencyGovernance Efficiency

No single institution can provide all No single institution can provide all educational services for rural peopleeducational services for rural people


Governance EfficiencyGovernance Efficiency

Rural-based extension officers are a Rural-based extension officers are a valuable resource :valuable resource : presentations of their subject at schoolspresentations of their subject at schools conducting adult education and skills training conducting adult education and skills training organizing farmer field schoolsorganizing farmer field schools

Example # 4Example # 4

Skills Training for Rural PeopleSkills Training for Rural People Skills for a more secure livelihood and Skills for a more secure livelihood and

greater resiliency during times of stressgreater resiliency during times of stress Life skillsLife skills Food production skills Food production skills Self-employment skillsSelf-employment skills

FAO/UNESCO/IIEP, 2006FAO/UNESCO/IIEP, 2006


Redefining Agricultural EducationRedefining Agricultural Education Agricultural education must reflect changes taking Agricultural education must reflect changes taking

place in rural areas:place in rural areas: technology changestechnology changes global supply chainsglobal supply chains natural resource challengesnatural resource challenges on- and off-farm employment on- and off-farm employment global environmental changesglobal environmental changes entrepreneurship and small enterprise developmententrepreneurship and small enterprise development

Crowder, Lindley, Bruening and Doron Crowder, Lindley, Bruening and Doron (1999)(1999)


Effective Pro-rural PoliciesEffective Pro-rural Policies National policies and financing strategies that National policies and financing strategies that

effectively address ERP: effectively address ERP: recognize the diversity of needs of rural people recognize the diversity of needs of rural people

ecological and geographic differencesecological and geographic differences socio-economic and cultural differences socio-economic and cultural differences

FAO/UNESCO/IIEP, 2006FAO/UNESCO/IIEP, 2006

Produce data and disaggregate EMIS to enable Produce data and disaggregate EMIS to enable governments and the International community governments and the International community to monitor ERP progress to monitor ERP progress


What Will Success Look Like?What Will Success Look Like?

Increased proportion of central budget Increased proportion of central budget devoted to ERP devoted to ERP

Expanded access and improved quality for Expanded access and improved quality for all rural people all rural people

Rural people:Rural people: engaged in knowledge-based economies engaged in knowledge-based economies prepared to learn to adapt and cope with prepared to learn to adapt and cope with

globalization and market forces, climate globalization and market forces, climate change, food crises and other shocks change, food crises and other shocks

ERP Action at the National LevelERP Action at the National Level

Strategies are in place that are: people-Strategies are in place that are: people-centered , rights-based , justice-oriented, centered , rights-based , justice-oriented, sustainable, diversified according agro sustainable, diversified according agro ecological, socio economic and cultural needsecological, socio economic and cultural needs

ERP baseline and benchmarks are establishedERP baseline and benchmarks are established

ERP complements programs in food security, ERP complements programs in food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable natural poverty alleviation and sustainable natural resources managementresources management

Action at the International LevelAction at the International Level

ERP, a commitment of all: One UN, PRSPs, ERP, a commitment of all: One UN, PRSPs, SWAPS, EFA, bilateral donors, NGOs, SWAPS, EFA, bilateral donors, NGOs, private sector and othersprivate sector and others

Action: Role of DonorsAction: Role of Donors

Support from regional and international Support from regional and international granting and lending organizations for granting and lending organizations for those countries committed to elevating the those countries committed to elevating the education of their rural citizenseducation of their rural citizens

UNESCO and the Fast Track Initiative UNESCO and the Fast Track Initiative providing technical assistance to ensure providing technical assistance to ensure ERP becomes an integral part of EFAERP becomes an integral part of EFA (ERP (ERP

Ministerial Meeting Recommendations 2005-7)Ministerial Meeting Recommendations 2005-7)

ERP: Visit A Rich Resource ERP: Visit A Rich Resource CollectionCollection

33 books and conference proceedings33 books and conference proceedings 57 virtual publications 57 virtual publications 7 published articles7 published articles 8 newsletters8 newsletters 3 theses 3 theses 93 featured activities93 featured activities ERP ToolkitsERP Toolkits

www.fao.org/sd/erp/www.fao.org/sd/erp/

Documents

A Global Partnership to promote equity