Japan International Cooperation Agency JICA Ghana Office, 2nd Floor, The Elizabeth, AnIgYe No. 68A, Senchi Link, Airport Residential Area, Accra P.O. Box 6402. Accra-North. GHANA newsletteR Tel: +233-(0)30-2760781 | Fax: +233-(0)30-2760954 Website: http//:www.jica.go.jp/ghana/english Issue no. 7 JAnuARY 2012»»» Published by Jiro Inamura FEATURE Education Upfront + »» FEATURE Pupils have deep Education understanding through JICA contributes to Quality a practical lesson Education in Ghana 02. Project Story Strengthening the Capacity of INSET Management 03. Exclusive Interview JICA Assists Ghanaian Teachers’ In-Service Training to go Nationwide 06. Project Story School Construction: Improving Access to Basic Education in Deprived Areas 06. Project Story Technical and Vocational Education and Training Support project Volunteers News 07. Volunteer’s Family Visits Ghana ANNOUNCEMENT 08. JICA Shop Rural Women’s Skills and JICA Contributes to Quality Education in Ghana Development Foundation (RWSDF) With barely four years left to work towards achieving the Millennium Development Growth and Development Agenda Goals (MDGs 2015). Ghana is largely on track to achieving the MDG 2 target for (GSGDA); of which the Education universal primary education (with over 80% of school-age children enrolled and Strategic Plan (ESP) 2010–2020 remaining in school). However, disparities between the national figures and those for influenced. the northern regions exist. Ghana is also on track to achieving the MDG 3 target for On-going projects include In-Service gender parity in primary education. Training (INSET) project (2009–2013), Education is the key and foundation of activities is the concept of Capacity School Construction Project, Advisor for economic growth and social development. Development, which focuses on Decentralised Education Management It also contributes to stability and enhancing the problem-solving abilities (2010–2012) and Technical and peace. Japan has the history to have of the recipient beneficiaries at all levels, Vocational Education Training Support pursued technological development and including individual, organisational and (TVETS) project (2007–2011). Currently, industrialization through promoting societal levels. 30 JICA volunteers are working in the education. Based on its own experience, Education Sector. JICA sent 32 people Japan’s cooperation programmes in the JICA regards quality education for all, as from Ghana to training programmes in education sector in Ghana is consistent one of the prioritized areas of assistance. Japan/third countries to help transfer with the perspective of the Fourth Tokyo knowledge and technology in 2011. JICA’s assistance is custom-made International Conference for African according to the situation of individual Development (TICAD IV), as well as countries. The basic principle of our being aligned with the Ghana Shared 2 3 »»EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW »»PROJECT STORY JICA Assists Ghanaian Teachers’ ANIGYE NEWSLETTER Strengthening the Capacity of INSET Management In-Service Training to go Nationwide Background The quality of teachers is an important factor in children’s education. Normally, INSET during the piloting and in and teachers’ unions. The draft teachers attend teacher’s training colleges, now renamed as Colleges of Education, 2009 agreed the outline of the next policy has already been captured to learn the art of teaching. However, once they start teaching, in Ghana at least, INSET project as follows. The overall by the revised Education Strategic there is no official requirement for teachers to continually improve their teaching goal of the project is for the teaching Plan (ESP) 2010–2020. competencies, as pertains in other countries. competencies of public primary school teachers in the area of Mathematics The Teacher Education Division (TED) within a cluster; where teachers from Training in Japan/ third country and Science to be improved. The of the Ghana Education Service (GES), 2 to 5 schools come together to form a and Japanese volunteers project purpose is for the nationwide with the support of JICA’s INSET cluster (Cluster Based INSET (CBI)) Aside of in-country INSET management system for a structured project, is now introducing nationwide, for learning. INSET usually consist a activities, training programmes and quality INSET of Mathematics a principal method of continuous colleague teacher (previously trained on in Japan and third countries such and Science to be established and teacher professional development for how to conduct INSET), teaching his as Kenya are also organized reinforced. Within the project scope, public primary school teachers. peers how to develop practical lessons to complement the INSET JICA has been supporting the GES Mr. Nagumo, Deputy for pupils to understand. efforts. The Graduate School of INSET literally means In-Service through the TED, with a technical Team Leader of the Education, Okayama University, INSET project Training of teachers. It forms part of This nationwide rollout of INSET is as cooperation project to expand the Japan, is one such institution a teacher’s continuous professional a result of a successful piloting of the INSET model nationwide from June receiving INSET related personnel development. INSET can take place INSET model from 2000 to 2005 in 3 2009 in phases, 57 districts in the first from Ghana for training, with the at a school (School Based INSET districts, and from 2005 to 2008 in 10 phase, 41 districts in the second phase, aim of enhancing the capacity (SBI)) where the teachers within a districts; one from each region. GES on and 62 in the third phase, in terms of of the participants in conducting school come together to learn, or its part recognized the importance of capacity building of the management quality lessons and in leading Teachers share information structure at the national and district and improve their teaching quality SBI/CBI (12 in 2010 levels, and quality improvement at the skills through group work. and 12 in 2011 participated in school level. the trainings). On their return, Pupils at the Zuta Primary School in the personnel become the The Government of Ghana in its 1992 Constitution identified education as a key Akatsi. Akatsi was one of model pilot sites. Progress and Challenges to date resource persons aiding in the development tool for the nation and declared free access to basic education and retention As of December 2011, all districts institutionalization of INSET of children in schools. The Government, through various focused strategies, had have set up the INSET implementation activities. managed over the years to increase the Gross Enrolment Rate of primary schools to 96% structure at the district level. Many In addition, JICA dispatches Japan as at the 2010/2011 academic year. However, improvement in the quality of education, of these districts however, could not Overseas Cooperation Volunteer especially in terms of the quality of primary school teachers remains a challenge. organize training for the school level (JOCV) and Senior Volunteer personnel such as head teachers (HT) (SV) to work together with local Continued on page 4 and curriculum leaders (CL) due to people at District Education budgetary constraints at the district Offices, Schools (Primary, Junior level. Therefore, SBI and CBI are only and Senior), and Colleges of being conducted in a limited number of Education. districts at present. The TED and JICA Project team continues to support these districts to prioritise INSET activities Going forward, future within their budget plans in order to perspective: complete the trainings. The Nationwide INSET programme needs to be The TED has also made progress in continually reinforced. The developing the policy backbone for acceleration of the setting up of the Nationwide INSET Programme. the National Teaching Council, The teacher policy is intended to the body set up by law (the ensure that there are clear standards Education Act 2008) to be in which govern the pre-tertiary teacher charge of INSET in Ghana will aid education and development in Ghana. A in further strengthening INSET draft Pre-Tertiary Teacher Professional activities. As well as the passing Development and Management of the PTPDM Policy going a long (PTPDM) Policy has been shared way to institutionalize Teacher with wider stakeholders including Professional Development in key Ministry of Education and GES general, and INSET in particular. divisional heads, Development Partners 4 5 ANIGYE NEWSLETTER Madam Evelyn Owusu Oduro, the Programme Coordinator of the National INSET unit Madam Oduro: INSET used to be other partners are doing their best. Also, the data needed for our programme »» supply-driven, where the initiators we lack qualified teachers especially into the EMIS. As EMIS produce data (Government and its partners), take for Science and Mathematics and we set annually, we will get necessary INSET to schools, but now, it is experience brain-drain as teachers we information at no cost. We will also demand-driven as teachers in schools train to support INSET, move into other promote three model districts of INSET are demanding for INSET in their more lucrative ventures or jobs. implementation to motive other districts schools. This is a positive development, to positively introduce INSET system. because it literarily means that teachers How are you working towards are willing to go through INSET and overcoming these challenges How do you see the Ghanaian JICA Assists upgrade their teaching skills and update associated with the project? education system in the near future? Ghanaian their knowledge, thereby making them better teachers and invariably leading Madam Oduro: As a comprehensive Mr. Nagumo: It is our hope that in the Teachers’ to the enhancement of the quality of approach towards minimizing nearest future, Ghana operates a self- education delivered to students. brain-drain and attracting qualified sustaining education system. teachers (especially in Science and In-Service Madam Oduro: The benefits we JICA has been very pivotal in its Mathematics), we have developed a will derive from INSET are both support and assistance since we policy document detailing a holistic Training to go immediate and futuristic.