Strengthening of the network of graduated teachers – for improved primary school education

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

The project will establish a network of 40 primary schools in Blantyre Rural and Thyolo Districts in Southern Malawi, with the overall objective of improving the quality of primary school education and the level of learning of the pupils. The immediate objectives of the project are: 1) To increase the capacity of primary school teachers to use methodologies adequate and more appropriate to the situation on the ground incl. resource constraints and to mobilise support to help children learn better 2) To increase the participation and the engagement of the communities in school catchment areas in primary education management and individual child support 3) To improve the conditions and facilities of 40 primary schools to make them more child-friendly. 4) To reduce barriers for gender equality at primary schools. The expected key results are: better problem solving capacity, skills and support of the involved teachers; higher learning outcomes of the pupils; and a reduction in children dropping out, especially girls. The primary schools to participate in the project will be selected in cooperation with the Malawi Ministry of Education based on the schools' willingness to be part of the project and on the presence of DAPP TTC graduated teachers in the school. The project will establish a network of the primary schools and make each participating school a centre of project activities. The Parent Teacher Associations of the schools will determine what the schools need and the graduated DAPP teachers in each school will be responsible for implementing the activities at the schools. They will be the desk officers for coordinating project activities at each primary school and will lead the network in which lessons, experience and good practices are shared to improve the quality of education. The two project offices and management team will support the teachers. The key project activities will be hands-on training of the participating teachers, workshops producing educational materials, sharing of experiences and practices, trainings and events for parents and the wider community - all leading to improve learning results for the pupils. The beneficiaries will be 80 DAPP graduates working at the 40 primary schools, the approx. 200 other teachers and especially the approx. 40,000 pupils in the 40 schools. The indirect beneficiaries will be the parents and the siblings of the children, and teachers / pupils from other schools in the zones.