The Education Thematic Programme contributes to the development objective that:
Women and men, girls and boys in rural areas use good quality education as a vehicle for their development as active citizens, able to participate fully in a representative civil society promoting social justice and sustainable change.
In working towards the development objective the programme has established the four specific objectives:
1) Democratically operating schools in rural areas form a platform for the involvement of families and the community in education and concern for the quality of children’s lives.
2) Teachers make good quality child-centred education a reality for learners in rural primary schools
3) The educational needs of the most disadvantaged, especially girls , orphans and vulnerable children are met by the community
4) The relevant civil society organisations at local as well as at national level advocate for a right based child friendly quality education, children’s rights and girls and boys equal integration in and completion of formal education
The immediate target groups for the programme are schools councils and community leaders, teachers and other education professionals, girls, orphans and vulnerable children. The ultimate target groups are children and the wider community in rural areas.
The programme will be implemented through geographically defined sub programmes in rural districts and in the capital. Initially the programme will operate in the districts of Zambezia (Milange and Alto Molocue), implementing partnership projects and activities in pursuit of programme objectives. The Maputo sub-programme will focus specifically on advocacy, campaigning and national-level networking and fundraising, using the learning created by the programme.
In working towards the four objectives the programme uses three sub-strategies:
1) To build the capacity of school councils so that they work with local communities and with government to create schools where education of good quality is achieved and which form a democratic nucleus within the rural community;
2) To promote good quality teaching and learning in rural areas by developing models of good practice, through on the job training, and relating this experience to the teacher training curriculum.
3) To support civil society initiatives in increasing access to education for girls, orphans and vulnerable children
The EDEC retains a decentralised decision-making structure
although ultimate responsibility for decision-making on the programme rests with Regional Office, it is the Programme Management Team comprising RO and the Programme Leaders (heads of the sub-programmes), that is responsible for the effective operation of the programme in accordance with Ibis Policies, Mozambique Country Strategy and Education Strategy and the development, adjustment and change of the programme.
For more information about the project please contact program director Elisa Langa, elisa@ibismz.org