Improving Teaching Quality in Primary Schools in Niassa province

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 aims at contributing to the Millennium Development Goal of achieving universal primary education by 2015, promoting equal opportunities for girls and boys, regardless of their social status, through improvement of the quality of primary education in the districts of Sanga and Lichinga in Niassa province, in Mozambique. This will be achieved through improvement of the learning environment in 60 primary schools and in-service training of 200 teachers of these schools, training of 12 ZIP (Zona de Influencia Pedagogica / Zone of Pedagogical Influence) coordinators, as well as setting up 2 Pedagogical Workshops (resource centres containing educational material and tools for teachers and pubic) and training of its coordinators, training of 60 pre-school teachers, and close collaboration with district and provincial education authorities. Additionally, the project will carry out adult education for approximately 200 adults in the two districts. The project will also invest in early childhood development through support for establishment of 30 pre-schools in each district, aiming at early access to skills that can improve performance in the first years of primary education.As a result of the in-service training the teachers will be able to address behavioral and cognitive challenges of pupils in rural areas. The introduction of pre-school activities and strengthening of school councils will further increase the positive impact of the project on the quality of education in the two districts. The staff of the schools will increase their skills and qualifications and the pupils will gain better quality education in a more child- friendly environment. As a consequence, the pupils are expected to improve their school performance and completion rates, and progression to further levels of education will be increased. The 12 ZIP coordinators will further train the group of teachers of each ZIP (corresponding to 5 schools) in order to improve teaching methodologies so that they are child centered and with focus also on early reading and writing skills. The Pedagogical Workshops will be accessible not only for teachers and students but also for community members; they can get better informed and trained on issues such as food security and nutrition, HIV/AIDS, computer literacy etc.The project will also support the renovation of the ADPP Teacher Training College (TTC) facilities, in order to improve the learning environment.