School Improvement Plan (SIP) and Child Centered Methodology Training Project in 11 District of the Paktika Province.

From May, 2014 to Dec,2014

EDUCATION IN THE LIGHT OF ISLAM

To be continued…...

Core Skills Focus Organization (CSFO) as a not-for-profit non government organization aims at development of Afghan People’s through the provision of technical and vocational skills for a self-sustaining local economy. As the founders of organization, we believe that it is essential for unemployed and underemployed Afghans and especially women, those who have missed out on educational and training opportunities, to be provided with market driven vocational and business development training in order for them to contribute to their own and their families‟ livelihood-run, and to the development of country shorting the longer-run. In addition, these groups need first and second chances to get a grip on the continuing education and training ladder. More specifically the Core Skills Focus Organization working areas are as under,

Training and Capacity building, Research and studies, Vocational and Enterprises Development, Women political empowerment, Human rights and advocacy, Conflict resolution and management trainings, and Education.

ABOUT Core Skills Focus Organization-(CSFO)

PROJECT GOAL:

The overall goal of the project is “Children enjoy

friendly and child centered schools with improved and

quality learning environment”.

The main objectives of the project are, 2,000(100 principals, 300 teachers, 300 SMC members, 100

community elder,100 religious leaders, 600 students(300 boys and 300 girls), 200 PED staff, 300 line departments) staff will have developed and implemented school improvement plans (SIP) for100 schools,

40 SIP progress tracking review meetings conducted (5 schools as cluster, 5 schools X 20 clusters =100 Schools X 2nd review=40 meetings, 40sessions X 20 SIP committee members=4,000 Participants), and

12 master trainers and focal points (2 per province and 2 per district) and 600(principals and teachers) of 100 schools will have hands –on child centered methodology through three days training.

PROJECT OBJECTIVIES:

PROJECT LOCALITY

The concept of child friendly school is one of the successful interventions of UNICEF and MoE that promote quality education particularly in its core components i.e. child centered teaching methodology, inclusiveness, child participatory approach, gender responsiveness and child protection measures. CSFO is interested in partnership with UNICEF and MoE in the implementation of child friendly schools program particularly in child centered teaching methodology and school improvement plans.

The Core Skills Focus Organization has sufficient experience in quality education and had partnership with UNESCO, NSDP, UNDP, and USAID on literacy, quality education and vocational and conflict management trainings in different parts of Afghanistan.

 A total number of 2000 participants (100 principals, 300 teachers, 300 SMC members, 100 community elder,100

religious leaders, 600 students(300 boys and 300 girls), 200 PED staff, 300 line departments staff will be directly benefit from this project and round about 100,000 students, 2000 teachers and relevant communities will be indirectly benefit from this project.

 In this project, CSFO will mainly focus on Paktika one of UNICEF focus and deprived province where the education overall

situation is in worst condition and especially female participation is very low in all education related areas. The total duration of this project is o7 months with aim to enable 2000 teachers, students, SMC members, community elders, religious leaders, youth and parents associated for 100 selected CFS in 11 Districts of the Paktika Province to systematically asses the school needs and to develop school improvement plans. This project not only develops the plan, but its successful implementation and fund raising for school needs are the prime activities of the project. On top of the mentioned participants additionally 612 master trainers, teachers and school principal will receive three days training on “Child Centered Teaching Methodology” as a core component in the provision of quality education.

In order to meet the project goal CSFO will use a variety of methods such as “Participatory and Child Center Teaching Methodology”. The selected methods will be determined based on the context and profile of the participants. Where possible, adaptations will be made in order to provide more creative and appropriate approach for community awareness. CSFO will also continue to work together with UNICEF to ensure that each project activities, religious leaders are participating in the established training process and in the development of SIP.

 During this project CSFO will conduct an assessment of the result at output level and effectiveness at community-level

interventions and after completion in the long run CSFO will conduct impact assessment for its own record.  The “School Improvement Plan (SIP) and Child Centered Methodology” training project will be implemented directly at

field by the “Core Skills Focus Organization” with technical and financial support of UNICEF.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

PROJECT STAFF:

LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM PED/ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT

1. Coordination meeting with PED, 2. Coordination meeting with Department of Economy-Paktika,3. Coordination meeting with PED Focal Points, and4. Coordination meetings with school principals.

COORDINATION MEETINGS WITH STAKEHOLDER

02 DAY TRAINING WORKSHOP ON SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN-(SIP)

•Pre-preparation of SIP development workshop,•Logistic arrangement,•Meetings with 100 schools principal to receive the name of SMC members,•Invitation letters send to 100 schools principals for SIP development Workshops, and•Developed 100 SIP for project selected 100 schools of the Paktika Province.

SCHOOL IDENTIFIED PROBLEMS

100 Project selected school has its own plan for development,

Each SIP clarify budget, which was sign by the SMCs members,

Each of the SIP been delivered to PED-Paktika and UNICEF-CR,

Each of the SIP properly sign/stamped by the PED.

DEVELOPED SIP

SIP DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP PARITICIPANTS

ORGANIZED 1ST REVIEW MEEETING IN 20 CLUSTER FOR 100 SCHOOL

The basic objectives of the review meeting were, What progress so far done by the SMC members, To know either the SMC members conducted meeting

after the SIP development for schools or not, To know either the SMC members work for the practical

implementation of developed school plan or not, To know either the SMC members conducted meetings

with the relevant stakeholders or not, To know either the SMC members developed any work

plan for there selves or not, and To know what steps so far taken by the SMC members

for the solutions of the identified school problems.

The purpose of the coordination meeting with PED, To shared focal points selection criteria with the

PED, andTo get help in the nomination of the focal points for

the CCM training…..The selection criteria are as under,i. Graduates from the university,ii. Interested and supportive to the CFS program concepts,iii. Having sufficient time and permission from the PED,iv. Have the trainer experience in the field of education, andv. Is a well known and accepted personality from the particular

communities.

COORDINATOIN MEETING WITH PED STAFF FOR THE NOMINATION OF 12 FOCAL POINT FOR CHILD CENTERED

METHODOLOGY TRAINING

Coordination meeting with the PED, Coordination meeting with the school principals for the

nomination of the 100 head teachers and 400 teachers of grade 1-3,

Disseminate training invitation letters to 100 school principal and 12 focal points for the 3 days training/workshop on CCM,

Arrangement of training points for the CCM training, Technical arrangement for the training, Financial arrangements, and Logistical arrangement for the training.

PRE-PREPARATOIN FOR THE 03 DAY TRAINING/WORKSHOP ON CHILD CENTERED

METHODOLOGY FOR 12 FOCAL POINTS, 600 SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND TEACHER

The basic aim of the CCM training was,

To improve the quality of teaching and learning in Afghanistan primary classrooms through strengthening the capacities of the teachers in order to promote the concept of “Child Centered Learning” in Afghanistan.

AIM OF THE CCM TRAINING/WORKSHOP

Have a sound understanding of the concepts and best practices of child-centered learning, interactive methodology in teaching and learning process in the project selected schools of the Paktika province,

The participants be able to design and make a range of resources and teaching aids from locally available materials to support the child-friendly learning environment,

The participants be able to use a simple planning system to support child-friendly learning,

The participants be able to prepared, taught and evaluated a child-centered lesson, and

The training/workshop participants are able to begun planning to implement child-centered learning in their respective schools.

THE CCM TRAING/WORKSHOP BASIC OBJECTIV

100 SCHOOLCHILD CENTERED METHODOLOGY TRAINING/WORKSHOP GENDER BASE SEGREGATED DATA

The basic object of the review meeting is to find out, To track progress so far done by the SMC members, To know about the #s of conducted meeting by the SMC

members after the development of the school improvement plan,

To know either the SMC members work for the solution of the highlight/identified school problem or not,

To know either the SMC members conduct any meeting/communication with the relevant stakeholder for the solution of the schools identified problem or not,

To know either the SMC members perform their responsibilities, To know either the SMC members followed their work plan for

the improvement of schools, and To know what step the SMC members need to take in the

coming time for the solution of the identified school issues during the SIP development workshops.

ORGANIZED 2ND REVIEW MEEETING IN 20 CLUSTER FOR 100 SCHOOL

The basic purposes of these monitoring visits were,To know about the project impact on the

community,To know about the CSFO project staff

coordination with community members,To know about the community mobilization about

the SIP ProjectTo know about the community response about

the SIP Project, andTo know about the CSFO project staff capacities

of handling the SIP Project

MONITORING OF THE SIP PROJECT

The basic purposes of project evolution was,o To know about the SIP project impact over

community,o To analyzed and evaluate the project overall

activities, ando To evaluate the community involvement in the

SIP development activities.

EVALUATION OF THE SIP PROJECT

The monitoring and evaluation consists of the following members,

1.SIP project staff,2.CSFO M&E department staff,3.CSFO management staff member,4.PED staff,5.PED focal points, and6.Community members.

M&E TEAM

The aim of community involvement were, To ensure that, the SMC members must conducted periodical meeting among themselves,

in which they will work over the developed time line, To make sure that, each school committee must address and track their progress towards

the practical implementation of their developed school plan, To make sure that, each SMC must conduct coordination meeting with the provincial

education department-PED to collect fund for the implementation of the school plan, To make sure that, if needed, the SMC have to conduct meeting with “Ministry of

Education” and relevant organization working on education, with the purpose of financial support for the practical implementation of the developed plan for their respective school, and

To make sure that, the “School Management Committee-(SMC) along with PED staff” must coordinate with the UNICEF for the fund handling and after collecting the funds, each project selected schools management committee will have hand to implement the school improvement plan in their school practically.

The aim of closing ceremony were, To make sure the community involvement in the project activities, To provide awareness to the local community about the SIP project, To gain support from the community members about the SIP project and project

sustainability in the project locality. To inform the community members about what to do in future and how to collect the funds

for The practically implementation of the developed school plan, and To formally closed the SIP project and handover to PED and community for future.

COMMUINTY INVOLVEMENT AND PROJECT CLOSING CEREMONY

SIP development training workshop in 100 school of the Paktika Province,

“Coordination Meetings” with community and PED members,

Community involvement in the project activities were good,

Child Centered Methodology training workshop, Monitoring of the project activities, and Project evaluation by the CSFO management,

PED staff and community members.

WHAT WENT WELL

CSFO notably didn’t face any serious problem during the implementation phase of the project except some cultural sensitivity and general security.

PROBLEM AND CONSTRAIN

Good coordination and communication with the relevant stakeholder i.e. PED, SMC committee members and UNICEF points provide strong support for the smoothly implementation of the project,

Involvement of active community members in the project activities leads the project towards the success,

Working under the umbrella of the community existing cultural core values leads the implementing organization in the achievements of the project desire goal,

Provision of need base project, increase the chances of achieving the project desire objectives,

The hiring of local people in the project staff creates easiness in the performing of the project activities, and

Repo development with the community common members/influential personalities leads the project towards the achievements of the project proposed objectives.

LESSON LEARNT

1. It is recommended to the UNICEF to increase the duration of the project in the coming time,

2. It is also recommended to the UNICEF to increase the numbers of “Child Centered Methodology training in the project as well to increase the numbers of training days” this was recommended by the community members),

3. It is recommended and requesting from UNICEF to facilitate the implemented partners field staff in the implementation phase of the project to move forward the project accordingly, and

4. It is recommended and requested to the UINCEF to provide specialized trainings on education to the female teachers of the Paktika province, in order to polish their technical teaching skills with modern days requirement and these training must be arranged under the umbrella of the community existing cultural norms & traditions.

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