Newsletter No
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GES-JICA INSET Project Newsletter No. 2 of 2008 (October 2008) GES-JICA Project to Support the Operationalization of the In-Service Training Policy (INSET Project) supports the smooth implementation of INSET for primary school teachers in 10 districts. It aims at developing a structured and replicable INSET model for primary school Science and Mathematics. This 5th and final newsletter is for the Project reports on the structure of activities and achievements of the Project from December 2005 to November 2008. It also highlights plans for Nationwide INSET. Subsequent issues would be produced by INSET Programme of GES. curriculum leader coordinate and organize SBI/CBI Background of the INSET Project effectively. In August 2005, Japan International Cooperation Agency 2. Monitoring and evaluation system for the district INSET (JICA) in collaboration with Ghana Education Service started model has been developed and is being implemented. a master plan implementation structure to institutionalise INSET in primary schools. The project’s INSET model took 3. The project implementation structure and monitoring & into account the following: evaluation system mentioned above are included in the 1. Establishment of implementation structure National and District Guidelines and need-based INSET 2. Establish monitoring and evaluation system modules (Sourcebooks) that have been produced. 3. Developing training modules 4. Undertaking capacity building 5. Using SBI/CBI as a cost effective INSET The overall purpose of the project was to develop a structured and replicable INSET model for primary school teachers in 10 pilot districts. Achievements of the INSET Project 1. Project implementation structure has been established as seen in the diagram below. Operating Structure of National INSET Policy National INSET National INSET National Level (Adm. Unit) (Facilitators) 4. Capacity of the key actors to support the delivery of Orientation/ INSET has been developed from national through Training Feedback district to school levels. Details of the training and District INSET District INSET DIC number of participants are shown in the table below. District Level Committee Facilitators (DTST) DTST Training at District Level Orientation/ Training Feedback Headteachers 1 day 1,100 orientation Headteachers School-based INSET School-based INSET Facilitator (Curriculum Teachers School Level Curriculum 2 days 1,100 Curriculum Organizer (H.Teacher) Leader) Leaders Leaders orientation Sourcebook 5 + 5 days 1,100 Curriculum The structure of the INSET programme comprises three training Leaders levels, namely the national, district and school levels. Each Orientation of the 2 days 10 DDE level has a specific role to play towards the successful project 50 DIC members implementation of the INSET programme. In the District 100 DTST Members Education Office (DEO), the District INSET Committee 100 Circuit (DIC) coordinates the district-level INSET programmes and Supervisors of the District Teacher Support Team (DTST) provides their Orientation and 5days 100DTST Sourcebook training subject expertise. At the school level, the headteacher and 1 Training at District Level The training of teachers in the preparation of Administrative 1 day 50 DTST training 50 DIC members Teaching and Learning Materials and good lesson plans Information 1/2 day 50 DIC members have already began making positive impact in the management training delivery of lessons by some Primary School teachers. ASEI& PDSI 4 weeks in Kenya 7 DTST members There is a marked improvement in the way teachers training and a National handle their lessons in Science and Maths. Lessons are Trainer delivered using suitable teaching and learning ASEI & PDSI 5 Day in Ghana 160 DTST and materials. training curriculum leaders Teachers no longer skip over topics they find Administrative 2 weeks for non- 30 District challenging or difficult to handle. They have learnt the training Accounts Education Officers secret in sharing challenges with colleague teachers or 4 weeks for Human including Directors DTST members to overcome their shortcomings. Resource Mgt 5. More than 80% of the schools in pilot districts organised SBI/CBI at least twice in a term as shown in the table below. This target can as well be achieved by districts coming on board in the nationwide expansion of INSET. No. District Number Schools % of of organised Schools Schools SBI/CBI organised (latest) more than SBI/CBI twice more than twice 1 Adansi North 85 85 100.0% 2 Akatsi 99 75 75.8% 3 Akuapem North 113 113 100.0% 4 Assin North 95 78 82.1% 5 Dangme West 82 73 89.0% Bishop E. W. K Kusi (DDE Tano South) Kassena-Nankana 6 99 98 99.0% These achievements have set the stage for the nationwide 7 Mpohor Wassa East 106 76 71.7% expansion of INSET. It is hoped that with the experiences 8 Tamale Metro 236 236 100.0% gained in the last 3 years, the pilot districts will be in a good 9 Tano South 54 54 100.0% position to lead and assist those districts that will begin 10 Wa Municipal 55 55 100.0% implementing SBI/CBI next year. Total 942 870 92.4% In addition, budget line for INSET activities has been Way Forward planned and incorporated in Teacher Education Division and all districts’ budgets for the year 2009. How do we mobilize stakeholders’ support to sustain a credible INSET plan? Comments from Pilot District The programme has helped the pilot districts to improve the quality of teaching, especially in maths and science. A DTST member of Tano South, Minta-Afari Seth, commended the programme and had these to say; The School-Based INSET (SBI) and Cluster-Based INSET (CBI) have helped teachers to improve on their methodology of teaching. It has encouraged the participatory method of teaching. The Post Delivery Discussion (reflection/evaluation on the activity) has helped teachers to accept their shortcomings and improve upon it. DG of GES projecting the way into the future The feedback after the SBI and CBI has helped to motivate teachers and correct their methods of NIU has the responsibility of sustaining and operationalising teaching. the nationwide INSET plan as a dependable plan with strong management measures to address delays in release of funds Comments from Tano South District Director is as follows: and the printing of the sourcebooks as well as addressing low human resource capacity in deprived areas. In addition the unit is to create institutional awareness on the importance of 2 INSET in facilitating the learning improvement of pupils and students. For the Regional Education Offices and District Scope of the programme INSET Committees, their responsibilities lie in information sharing on good practices among pilot and incoming districts NIU/TED will begin the nationwide implementation of the in order to minimize failures in less endowed districts. The INSET model developed by the INSET Project from year regional and district stakeholders are also to sensitize 2009. The short-term goal for 2011 will be for the INSET teachers to accept INSET as part of their professional model to be implemented nationwide, and for the capacity of development meant to prepare them for quality teaching and DIC, DTST, HT, CS and CLs in supporting SBI/CBI to be also to link INSET to promotion in the GES. improved. The long-term goal for 2013 is to improve the The development partners have been appealed to, to capacity of basic school teachers for teaching delivery deepen and increase their funding base to support nationwide through continuous INSET. The strategy for this is outlined INSET. In addition they have been asked to support the below. capacity building at all levels by technically assisting personnel for training and study tours both within and Nationwide INSET Action Plan outside the country. TED shall implement the Nationwide INSET through phased increases in the number of target districts. Districts are to be categorized into three as follows. 1). Pilot districts These districts completed their initial development by the INSET project supported by JICA in Year 2008. 2). Districts in 1st batch (57 districts) Districts in the 1st batch include all deprived districts except two (these two districts were part of the pilot districts, namely Assin North and Mpohor Wassa East). Six non-deprived districts are added to make up the 57. Dissemination seminar for District Directors of Education on These districts will begin to implement INSET in 2009. institutionalization of INSET 3). Districts in the 2nd batch (71 districts) Strategies for Nationwide INSET All remaining districts are included in this 2nd batch. The project has been providing support to TED in the These districts will begin implementing INSET in 2010. planning of Nationwide INSET, which is scheduled to start in Year 2009. The plan of activities for successful There will be various training and orientation provided at the implementation of the programme has been outlined. In this national and district levels to the key actors for INSET regard the 4th Joint Coordinating meeting was held in Accra th implementation. on the 14 October, 2008 to endorse the plan of action for nationwide implementation. Details of proceedings will be The summary of the number of districts in each batch and captured in the next edition. the subtotal for each region has been given in the table below. Number of districts in each batch Region Pilot Nationwide Subtotal district Implementation 1st batch 2nd batch Ashanti 1 4 16 21 Brong Ahafo 1 6 12 19 Central 1 3 9 13 Eastern 1 3 13 17 Greater 1 0 5 6 Accra Northern 1 17 0 18 Upper East 1 7 0 8 Upper West 1 4 3 8 Director General (middle), Deputy Director General, Volta 1 4 10 15 (extreme left), Director Teacher Education, (left) Western 1 6 6 13 Director, Basic Education (right) and JICA Deputy Subtotal 10 57 71 138 Resident Representative at the final (4th) Joint In addition to the summarised statistics, the names of the Coordinating Committee meeting of the Project 1st batch districts who are to start the programme next year are indicated in the table on the next page.